Fated
by OpenDoorLeia
Summary: Captured and locked away in the dark heart of Nohr, Kaze awaits his fate. Instead of being put to the blade, he is made to battle for his life against a young Nohrian princess. And as they clash he begins to feel as if he may know her somewhere from a dream long ago. Will he be able to escape this darkness with his life? Or will the princess deliver him to his end?
1. sweet memory

The early spring wind blew through the fields warm and pleasant, carrying with it the smell of sweet blossom, of sun warmed grass, of earth, and of the laughter of a girl. As a small white dot she ran through the swaying green waves, trailing a dark trodden path behind her. A white puppy dog galloped on her heels, yipping loudly as it struggled to keep up with her. Even when she was out of breath after all of her skipping and jumping, she continued to laugh. And no matter how much time went by, she never seemed to get tired at all.

Many flowers of countless shapes and colors dotted the great field, all swaying and catching light under the sun. With a big smile on her face, clearly visible even from a distance, the girl went to every one that she found, sometimes even visiting the same one a handful of times without even really knowing. She touched the soft petals, poked the flower heads, and smelled so many of them that she had a little sneezing fit. Every now and then she would accidentally disturb the odd resting bumblebee, and would shriek as it circled around her head uninterestedly before buzzing away. It would take her a few more moments of shrieking and flailing to realize that it had long gone.

And when she was not running, playing with the dog, or discovering new flowers, she decided to spin. She would twirl around so much and so quickly that he was starting to get dizzy just by watching her. And just when he'd begin to think she was stuck on spin-cycle, she tipped back and dropped light as a feather onto the soft cushioning grass. Her laughter was warm as the sun, and it echoed.

The dog suddenly jumped on her with a loud "oof!" and started to cover her face with slobbery kisses.

" _Hey!_ _S-stop that_!" she sputtered through her giggling. " _Your breath… pfffhft! Your breath stinks_! _Aaah!_ "

Her voice carried on the warm wind and reached his ears in a distant echo. The fields of Shirasagi were vast, wide, but not endless. The grasses and the flowers came to a stop at a deep, dense forest which bordered the far end. It was here that he watched and waited in shadow while the little princess played.

He had arrived at the castle with his father earlier that morning, and after some business taken care of, they were given audience with the Queen of Hoshido. He had met with the queen only a few times before, but her kindness and beauty had not lessened even once since the first time he'd laid eyes on her. Merely seeing her warm smile and hearing her gentle voice was more than enough to soothe the nervousness that had been fluttering about in his chest all day. There was no doubt why the queen was the symbol of Hoshiodo's peace.

She chatted shortly with his father, not seeming to notice he was there: not speaking to him, hardly looking at him. Though this did not dishearten him; he was fully aware of his position here. Dutifully, as he was always taught to do, he remained silent and focused as she spoke. Do not speak unless spoken to. Do not make eye contact unless spoken to. Even then, it would be more appropriate to bow and keep his eyes on his feet. Best not forget that.

He'd been focusing so hard on proper decorum that he almost didn't catch when she said his name.

"Y-yes!?" he jolted, standing straight as a polearm, mentally kicking himself for stuttering the word.

Her smile didn't waver. "Would you like to go visit the gardens out back behind the castle while I finish this talk with your father? I don't believe you've ever been there before. It's a beautiful place. I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

"Ah. Y-yes."

He thought he saw a questioning look in his father's eyes directed at the queen, but Lady Mikoto kept her smile on him.

"And who knows, perhaps you'll find someone there waiting for you."

The queen's words were still fresh in his mind as he watched the little princess play. As a servant of Hoshidan royalty, it was expected of him to know each member of the royal family by name and face. And he knew this girl as well; he had seen her a few times walking through the castle with her siblings, although he had not been formally introduced to her yet. He was certain she would not know who he was.

He felt a little at a loss. He'd found her here… but now what? It didn't look like the girl was waiting for him like Lady Mikoto had said, so what exactly had the queen intended to happen here? Unsure of what move next to take, he concealed himself in the brush of the forest and waited. It was basic training really; it was always good to approach an unknown situation slowly and with caution. A good ninja never made their first move until they fully understood the situation at hand… best not forget that, he thought.

The girl's giggling stopped and faded into the breeze. She got up and stood so still that he would have thought she'd frozen if not for the little dog that kept trying to jump up on her, but she ignored it. All around her grass softly swayed and flowers nodded in the wind. With wide and nearly unblinking eyes she looked far out into the blue distance. The smile that had once been fixed on her face in laughter was now eerily gone. She looked left, looked right, looked over her shoulder, and then up into the sky. She spun around, stopped abruptly, stared, and looked around again.

He watched her, perplexed. What was she doing? Looking for something? Was there something she had lost?

Then she started to walk, the grass swishing in a dull murmur around each step. The dog followed.

She took a breath and called out, "Hello!?" her voice echoed across the plains clear as a bell.

He jolted, breath caught in his throat.

"Hello?! Yoo hoo! Where are you!?" she strolled aimlessly back, forth, and in circles. The dog trotted beside her, white tail wagging and tongue lolling. Her voice resounded carefree and light, "Come out, come out where you are!"

He bit his lip, heart pounding almost painfully in his chest.

The girl stopped, frowned, and took a deep breath, "HELLO!?"

"Grgh...!"

In a whirl of wind he disappeared from the shadow and cover of trees and appeared kneeling behind her. The sun was hot, its light almost blinding; he didn't need to remind himself to keep his eyes down.

She seemed to feel the breeze as it lifted her hair and ruffled her yukata. "Oh!" and she turned. "There you are!"

The dog followed her gaze and barked in surprise when it saw him there. The fluffy thing immediately went to circling and sniffing him curiously. He tried to ignore it, and its ticklish nose, as best he could.

He didn't look up at her. "How…?" the rest of the words died in his throat, and he hesitated. A little part of him wished she'd fill the silence he'd left with her own words, her own questions—he was sure she must have had some. But nothing but the wind droned on, moving through the grass, the leaves in the distant trees, and making the flowers dance. He could feel her curious eyes on him, and it made his heart beat faster. Speak. "How did you know… that I was here?" He thought he'd concealed his presence properly. It had only been a few years since he had begun his training, but still he thought he'd be able to avoid the detection of a child.

She blinked with big red eyes. "I didn't! There was just this feeling..." she made a face, "I mean... something in the wind... uh… I don't know what it was exactly, but I just had a feeling that there was someone nearby! And I was right! Here you are!"

He sighed, rising to his feet, standing about a head or so over her. He figured she must have been only a couple years younger. "Princess Corrin, even so, it is unwise of you to start shouting like that when you're out here all on your own."

"I'm not all on my own, I have Yama with me," she pointed at the dog who was now trying to chew on his sandals. "And hey! You know me but I don't think I know you! What's your name?!"

He started, dropping back to his knees, "I beg your forgiveness! I've spoken out of turn! My name is Kaze. I am the second born son of Saizo IV from the village of Igasato..."

"Kaze..." the word passed her lips slowly. Her smile was bright in the sunshine, "Kaze! Then you're just like the wind!"

He blinked in surprise, and looked up just in time to see her grab his arm with both her hands. "Wai—wha—!?" With surprisingstrength she yanked him to his feet and started running. He made an effort not to trip. 

"Come on!" the dog was bounding after them, yipping, "Let's play together! Come on!"

"Play? I... I don..." his cheeks felt warm. Was it the sun?

She blinked back at him, "What? You don't know how to play? It's easy, come on!" she started dragging him, laughing again. "I found these super pretty flowers that you totally need to see! I just hope the bees are gone now... They scare me a bit, but Ryoma says they won't bother me if I don't bother them, but I don't know…"

Stupefied, and at the mercy of her firm grip, he let himself be carried away.

"Oh! Here they are!" she glanced cautiously about for bees, but finding none, crouched down and started touching the blue flowers gently.

"Er..." Kaze was not entirely sure what to say in this situation. "They are very pretty... I suppose."

She flashed a big smile up at him, "I know! Aren't they just! Hey, I think one would look great on you!"

He blinked. ' _On me_?'

"Here!" she deftly plucked it from the ground and stood a little on her tip toes to slide it behind his ear. She stepped back a bit, "There you go! You're beautiful!"

The heat on his face... was from the sun, right? "I'm... pleased you think so..."

He felt something tugging on his sandals again and looked down at the dog. It yipped at him.

"Look at this!" Corrin picked it up in her arms, "Yama thinks you're beautiful too! I think he wants to give you a kiss!"

"Wha..." before he could even think of what to say, Corrin lifted the little puppy to his face and it started licking him incessantly. Kaze's face scrunched, "Pffh... pff." He tried to keep smiling.

"Aww! Look how much he loves you!"

"...I'm... pfftfh… f-flattered pff," Kaze tried to turn his head away a little, not wanting to appear _too_ rude.

"You must be a really nice person," mercifully, she set the dog back on the ground.

Kaze blinked, rubbing the slobber off his face, "Pardon?"

"Well, Yama loves you! And since he loves you so much, that must mean you're nice!"

"Er..." Kaze tried to figure out the logic behind that.

"Hey!" Corrin suddenly burst, which almost made him jump. "Do you want to twirl with me?"

Twirl? "I... don't believe I'm familiar with the concept..." Did this have something to do with all the spinning she was doing earlier?

"What!?" Yama barked at the volume of her voice. "You've never twirled before!? Then we need to twirl right now! I mean, like, right now!"

"I... er... would be happy to oblige you if you would explain how to go about it..."

"Oh don't worry! It's the easiest thing in the world! I do it all the time! You just twirl around in a circle for as long and as fast as you can, and then when everything starts to get really spinny you fall back onto the grass!" she twirled once, lightly. "And you can do it with two people too! But I don't twirl too much with other people anymore..."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Well Ryoma thinks it's silly, and Sakura is too small. Hinoka does it too strong and sometimes ends up throwing me, and Takumi just ends up getting so dizzy he gets sick! One time he even puked! But he's usually the only one I can twirl with!" she threw up her hands at a loss.

Kaze smiled, "I see. That does sound troublesome. Then, if you would like, I would be happy to partake in twirling with you."

Her eyes lit up. "Really!? You'll twirl with me!? Yay! I knew you were a nice guy!"

"It would be my honor. Now, how shall we begin? How are we to start?"

"It's easy! Like this!" she grabbed the both of his hands firmly and started to spin.

"Oh..." the motion and the wind made their hair and their clothes flutter and sway, "this isn't so bad..." Kaze voiced his thoughts as the two of them slowly turned. Yama ran around them, barking.

"And now we go faster!"

"Wha—?"

For such a little girl, the Hoshidan princess was surprisingly strong. Kaze almost lost his footing as they picked up speed. He looked at her worriedly, but the princess had the biggest smile on her face that he'd ever seen.

"And now faster!"

 _Faster!?_ He could hardly hear her laughter over the sound of rushing wind and the happily yipping dog. Everything in the world beyond her smiling face became a mad blur of green and blue.

"And now... let go!" her small hands slipped out of his grasp. He gasped and tried to reach for her but grabbed only air. He caught a glimpse of her blissful smile as she fell backward and thudded into the grass with a loud ' _oof_!'

Kaze stumbled back, eyes rolling. "Oh... my..." the world steadied a little, "princess Corrin!" he leant over her quickly, "are you all right!?"

The little girl rolled around in the grass in a fit of mad giggling. Kaze eased a relieved sigh when it seemed she was okay.

"That was...! So... fun!" she choked out, happily kicking her feet. Swiftly she sat up, grass blades and flower petals caught on her hair and clothes. "You're so good at spinning! Are you sure you haven't done this before!? Wait! Did you fall down!? Because you were supposed to fall down too, Kaze!"

"I was?" he blinked, "I fear you neglected to mention that..."

"Oh my gosh!" she sprang up in a flash. "Your flower is gone! Oh no!"

"Oh..." he reached a hand up to touch the spot where it had been. "I hadn't noticed..."

"We gotta find it! Quick!" she looked down at the dog, "Yama, we gotta find it!" it barked back.

Kaze sweat a little. "Hold on a moment now!" Corrin froze mid-step. "I do not think that we will have to look very far," Kaze went on, "there are more than enough flowers around us at present."

Corrin slowly looked around at the many colorful flowers that spotted the grass, blinking as if she hadn't known they'd been there.

"And I think..." he plucked a small white flower from the ground, "you would look far prettier than me with a flower in your hair, princess Corrin. If I may…" and gently slid it behind her ear. "There you are. And what do you know, I was right. You look lovely." His touch, like a breath of wind, brushed her hair aside.

Corrin blinked speechlessly, her cheeks suddenly rosy. The little white dog started yipping and tried to jump up on Corrin's leg.

"See?" Kaze laughed, "Yama thinks so too. He's trying to kiss you now instead of me."

"You know what!?" she burst suddenly, startling both Kaze and the dog. "Yama was right! You're the nicest guy ever!" Too abruptly for him to react to, Corrin clasped her hand on his and started dragging him off again.

"Whoa! W-wai—!"

"Let's play, okay!? All day long! We'll try spinning again, and I'll show you how to do it right this time! Come on! There's all sorts of fun things we can do together! Let's go!"

Kaze's arm hurt a little by how much she was pulling, but his hand in hers was warm. For some reason he found himself smiling, and thought it not so bad to be frivolous if only for a little while. If it was what the little Hoshidan Princess wished for, then he would do his best for her.

Kaze was not exactly sure how much time had passed. Maybe hours, maybe minutes; he didn't pay attention to the position of the sun above them. Honestly it did not even cross his mind to check. However long it was, time went by so unlike how he was used to, with no schedule, no restriction, no training, no standards to meet. He was unaccustomed to this, greatly so perhaps, but for some reason he wasn't quite sure of himself… he felt happy.

He ran through the fields with her, almost struggling to keep up. They sat down when they were tired and made flower necklaces, which was something Kaze had never done before, but Corrin told him he was doing a great job. Yama barked. "See? Yama thinks so too!" they put them over each other's heads. And once they were chased by a bee. Later they played fetch with the dog, and after that they went back to spinning until everything was a blur. He fell back on the grass with her, and it didn't hurt. His laughter joined hers.

For a little while, together with her, he forgot the rest of the world.

"Corrin!" the voice cut through the calm clear as a bell.

Corrin sat up, grass and flower petals falling from her hair. She scrambled to her feet and pat herself off. "That's my mom calling!" she smiled at him brightly in the sunshine, "I guess it's time to go back home."

The white tower-castle of Shirasagi stood proud and tall far across the rolling green fields. Waiting on the back deck, a blur in the distance and light, were two people Kaze distinctly recognized. Dressed in a white robe, with jet black hair swaying in the wind, was Lady Mikoto. One of her hands was cupped around her mouth with the other slowly waving. Beside her with his arms crossed proudly across his chest was King Sumeragi; his great spiked mane of black and white hair was unmistakable and vivid even from so far away.

Kaze nodded, "You'll not want to keep them waiting."

"I had a lot of fun playing and spinning with you, Kaze! Let's do it again sometime, okay? You promise, okay?" she giggled, and straightened the white flower in her hair, as if just to make sure that it was there.

"As you wish it of me, Princess Corrin. I promise that we'll play again sometime soon."

Her smile was almost brighter than the sun. "Great! I can't wait!" she trotted off, swishing through the long grass. "Come on, Yama! Let's go see mom and dad, come on!" the little dog barked, running excitedly in circles around her; Kaze almost couldn't keep up with the little thing.

He watched as Corrin headed off and steadily got more and more distant. Half way back to her parents, she turned around and waved. "Bye, Kaze!" her voice carried on the wind. "Bye! Whoa—! Oof!" Kaze gasped as Corrin tripped and fell face first into the grass. He heard her sputtering, and just before he could dash over to help her, she pulled herself up. "I'm okay!" she stumbled back to her feet and started off again. "Bye, Kaze! Bye bye! Byeee!"

Kaze watched as she ran, without tripping again, all the way back to her family. The wind carried her laughter, a distant echo, as Sumeragi picked the little girl up in his arms and nuzzled her.

" _Daddy! Your beard tickles! Waa!_ "

"Kaze," came a low deep voice at his back. He hadn't even heard—let alone sensed—him approaching.

The young ninja felt himself tense automatically. "Father…" he greeted him without looking back.

There was a short pause filled only with the sound of the breeze and the distant laughing of a girl.

"You've been assigned your first mission."

This caused him to turn. His father stood tall behind him, a deep shadow even under the sun. "Queen Mikoto requested it be you personally. King Sumeragi was also open to the idea. Don't look so worried," his father's voice was low, gruff, but not harsh—it reminded Kaze a bit of his brother. "Not long from now King Sumeragi and a small entourage will be heading to Cheve."

Cheve? Kaze had heard of the place. "But that is in Nohr…" his brow creased.

"Indeed. King Garon has requested peace talks—believe _that_ or not. Young Prince Ryoma and Princess Corrin will be joining King Sumeragi there. You have a place in the entourage as well, as their guard." His father paused, perhaps to gauge a reaction. Kaze tried to keep himself calm on the inside and out, but… what was this fluttering feeling in his chest? "There should be no issue," his father went on, "I expect you to carry out this mission to the full extent of your abilities, Kaze. I know you can do this."

"Of course…" even from far away Kaze could see Corrin vividly. From Sumeragi's arms she smiled happily at her mother, nodding her head and gently touching the flower in her hair—as if to make sure that it was still there. Whatever words the little princess said were lost in the wind.

"I will not fail you."


	2. into the dark

Kaze awoke in darkness. Something like the scent of warm grass and flowers lingered on the far edges of his mind. It stirred him, brought him further out of the darkness and he breathed deeply, desperately, chasing it even though his lungs ached. For a moment he'd thought he'd grasped it, but like mist or like a dream it slipped through him, faded, and was gone. And as his eyes fluttered open and his mind began to clear Kaze forgot that it had even been there. He took another breath and choked on the heavy reek of wet stone, dirt, and muck.

Breathing made him realize just how barren and stale his mouth and throat were. When was the last time he had something to drink? He couldn't remember—couldn't remember anything. The only thing he really thought was that a sip of water would be a joy right about now. He was sure that even just a drop would do wonders to rid the awful, bitter taste on his tongue. He sputtered, wishing he had the saliva to spit it out.

It was hard to try and keep his eyes open; the lids ached and were woefully heavy. Even when he'd thought he'd got them open, it was so dark he couldn't tell if he was blinking or not.

' _I've lost my eyes now, have I?'_ he thought tiredly.

Before panic had its chance to sink in, he saw something. At first they were just spots on his vision— fleeting, without form. But as the darkness started to fade away, shapes appeared in sight. They were watery and amorphous, but they were something—although he could not tell exactly what.

He squinted, frowning, ' _It seems I still have my eyes then. I just need to get them to see.'_

He blinked a few times and it helped clear things a little. He thought of rubbing his eyes, but strangely his arms or hands wouldn't move; Kaze could hardly feel them. A small worry flickered in his chest, but he pushed it aside. His arms were numb, unfeeling, but he felt the weight of them, and with the weight came pain. They were there. He tried to yank them, pull them, but they hardly budged. He had the curious sensation that they were hanging, but how and from what he couldn't say. He noted that his legs did not share the same weightless sensation, and although it was painful, he was able to move them. He could feel he was sitting at least.

As he struggled he heard the soft clinking of chains. His awareness was coming back slowly, the darkness and numbness retreating to the last vestiges barely clinging to the edges of his mind. Even though it hurt, he moved his heavy and aching head. He looked up and found his arms firmly bound to the wall by a pair of old rusted shackles.

'… _Ah.'_ The realization sank in slow and deep. He let his head drop heavily, hair falling over his eyes. The memories of what had brought him here came back in broken flashes: screaming, flashes of steel, cold panic, the smell of blood. Like the pieces of a puzzle it all came together and found form. This darkness, the chains, and the pain all found purpose. He sighed and it burned. ' _…Right.'_

With the consciousness came a headache, pounding through his skull like a hammer in a forge. Kaze grit his teeth and tried not to make any noise. He thought back to his training, remembering a few simple mantras to calm himself and help kill some of the pain. He ran them through his head perhaps slower than he should have, but they helped even just a little. At the moment there were more important things to worry about than the pain.

He felt his body start to ease, his muscles relax and his heart settle into a steady pulse. He breathed deeply, ignoring the many unpleasant smells, and kept himself calm. Once settled, he opened his eyes, focused his awareness, and looked about the filthy cell he now called home.

It wasn't very big, the perfect size for two if the empty shackles on the wall across from him meant anything. Kaze was glad to see them rusted and hanging empty; old bones or a half-dead man were not the kind company that he cared for at the moment. To his relief, he found no remains on the floor either and smelled not even the faintest stench of decay. This cell must not have been inhabited until now for quite some time. The occasional scrap of wet cloth or string was the only thing that stuck to the stone floor. In the darkest corner of the room he spotted a small hole on the floor, and the smell from it told him all that he needed to know. He pretended he hadn't noticed it. Mold and dark stains crawled through the cracks in the stone walls like snakes and in the low light it almost looked like they were slithering.

Kaze quieted his breath to silence, straining his ears to listen for any sound. He heard no scurrying mice or the echoing tortured screams of fellow inmates—he counted that a small grace as any. A continuous drip-drop of water echoed from somewhere, and the whispering crackle of a burning torch burned somewhere from just out of sight beyond the door. Its light reached his cell in a dull flicker, doing nothing to drive back the gloom, and making the black bars of the door sharp and deep.

He sighed again. If it were possible though the lingering pain, perhaps he could close his eyes and fall back asleep. Even if it were just for a little while.

Just as his eyes were about to droop, a muffled jingling jerked him to attention. With deadly precision his eyes darted about the cell, looking for movement or light. It came again, low and quiet, and he discerned it as the sound of chains coming from behind the far wall. He realized there must have been another cell beside his. Was someone there? There was a little scuffling and grunting that followed, and Kaze recognized the voice.

He squinted, trying to focus. "Rinkah?" he called, his voice a hollow croak.

A voice came from behind the old stone. "Kaze? You still alive over there?" he heard more shuffling, "you were quiet for so long I thought you'd kicked it."

He looked down absently at his feet, trying to ignore the throbbing ache in his shoulders. "No. I am alive." Still. But for how much longer? He raised his head again, ignoring the kink in his neck, "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

"A few bruises," there was more shuffling and jingling, "but not like that's ever stopped me before." Then a loud thud. "Damn these chains! If I could get them off, I swear I'd rip this door right off its hinges! Bloody Nohrians! Blaze 'em!" It was silent for a moment. "Wonder how long they'll keep us down here for, eh…?"

"I do not know. What troubles me more however, is what they plan to do with us when they do come." Execution was probably the most likely outcome; Kaze had heard it a favorite of the Nohrian King, especially for foreign prisoners. Lovely thought. The alternative to that was being forgotten down here in the deep and the dark for weeks… months… maybe even years. Both horizons seemed equally bleak, without a single star of light. ' _If these are my only options then perhaps it would be best if it was just all just brought to a swift end.'_

Rinkah cursed. "I'll take a good handful of them down with me if they think they can snuff out my flame! If I just had my club…!"

He heard her struggling with her restraints again. Kaze took a steadying breath and waited for whatever was bound to come for them.

Time passed slowly and painfully. He tried to stop himself from flinching at every drip of water. He'd given up trying to figure out where the sound was coming from and if he could try to shut it up. Rinkah struggled with her chains for a long time—Kaze admired her tenacity despite circumstances—but gradually fell silent. The torch fire was a low burn, it flickered, and after a long time grew darker. Kaze felt ill.

The sound of an iron door creaking open jerked him from the edges of a dark sleep. Footsteps thudded against stone, growing louder and closer to his cell. The shadows of about five or so soldiers crept up and to the bars. Their bodies moved strangely in the low light—swaying like shadowy smoke—and he saw the glint of blades. As if his mouth could get any drier.

He heard more than saw the jingling of keys as they opened his cell door. Spears were fixed on him as one soldier came over and unhooked his wrists from the chains on the walls. Quickly they reconnected his wrists together before he had a chance to do anything. As if he really could in this state.

It never paid to be too cautious it seemed, and he cursed that. Perhaps in that brief window he could have taken one or two out, grabbed up one of their swords and then… and then what? He looked up at the guards pressing in around him, and scoffed at his own foolish thoughts. The horizon really was black.

"Stand."

Gritting his teeth behind closed lips he forced his aching legs to comply, and they did. With a little bit of stumbling and slipping he managed to get to his feet. The spears followed his every move.

"Now, walk." The guard flicked his sword at the cell door. Weaponless and bruised, Kaze took a breath, steeled himself and started walking.

His legs and feet ached, making him shuffle and limp, but he managed to reach the door without falling back to his knees.

As he stepped out into the hall, he saw Rinkah being led out of the cell in front of him—although a little less compliantly.

"Get your hands off of me!" Rinkah shoved a guard roughly with her shoulder, knocking him into the wall. "Touch me again and I'll _bite_ your filthy hands off!"

"Try to bite through this, Hoshidan filth!" the guard recovered and raised his sword. "I'll have no more of your struggling! Another stunt like that and I'll make you regret it!" the blade put at her neck wasn't an idle threat.

Rinkah didn't flinch, didn't even blink, just snarled and glared bloody murder at the guard.

Kaze watched, his heart frozen in his throat, silently begging her to back down. He hoped she would somehow hear his thoughts, however impossible. He tried to channel his plea into his face.

As if she'd heard him, Rinkah's eyes flicked to him a moment. Their gazes locked for a fraction of a second, and hope welled in Kaze's chest. And then she spit right into the soldier's eye.

"Rinkah!" Kaze could barely hear his own voice over the tumult of bodies and shouting guards.

"Hold her down!" "Tighten the cuffs on her arms, damn it!"

And Rinkah was roaring, cursing words so foul that it made Kaze's skin prickle.

Rinkah did make a valiant attempt, punching and shoving like some sort of wild animal, careless of if she smashed armor or skin. But outnumbered and without her club, the guards overcame her, and in one raucous burst they pinned her up against a wall with all their might—with four or five guards holding down any limb they could get their hands on. Even the guards holding Kaze nearly rushed over to help, but Kaze's hope died when the settled back into place. Almost got lucky there.

The clamor died in a breath when the soldier she'd spit on put his sword back at her neck. And for a moment time had stopped.

"I'm going to kill her! I'll cut her head right off!" he seethed, rubbing his eye.

Rinkah surged forward against her human restraints which barely held her back. "Try it! See what it gets you!"

"Don't!" one of Kaze's guards shouted loud enough to make them all jump. "You remember the king's orders. The prisoners are to be brought before him _alive_ and unharmed."

"Bugger the king's orders," the spit-guard's voice nearly whined in frustration. "I'll gut her right here, I will!"

"Listen to me when I tell you this," the chill in the soldier's voice put Kaze even more on edge. The hall suddenly seemed so much colder. "You will not like King Garon when he is angry. Displease him by disobeying his order and any mark you make on that prisoner will be given back to _you_ tenfold." The torch crackled in the hall, the fire flickering, casting deep shadows. "Let's go. Spilling blood here would bring you nothing. Besides, you're well aware of their fate. They'll not survive what awaits them."

The spit-guard was still for a moment. His sword moved and Kaze choked a breath. But instead of slicing Rinkah ear to ear, he sheathed the blade, rubbed his eye, and scoffed. "So be's it then."

The guards made to move on, but Rinkah was not quite finished. "Don't talk about me like I'm not even here, you filthy Nohrians! I want some answers! What is this king—!?"

"Rinkah!" Kaze hissed sharply, cutting her words and getting her attention. He looked straight into her and made her hold his gaze. Without words he pleaded to her. ' _Please. That's enough.'_

Her eyes were like fire and her teeth clenched tight. For one horrible moment Kaze thought she was about to lash out again. But instead she took in a huge breath and snarled a great sigh. "Fine!" and relaxed.

The guards looked her over cautiously, anticipating a trick, but when she did not tense or lash out at them again they relaxed a little. Exchanging wary glances, they made sure the prisoners were secure and lead them off again by the chains.

They left the dark cells and the dark halls behind, yet Kaze still felt like the horizon before him was now even blacker than ever. And every step he took made his heart weigh heavy as stone.

 _King… Garon…_


	3. coffin

"… Bring out the prisoners!" the deep voice rumbled through the hall like rolling thunder, echoing low across the walls and up into the high ceilings.

Having picked up a few other Hoshidan prisoners from the cells along the way, Kaze and Rinkah finally left the dark and dreary hallways and entered one of the largest and most grand chambers Kaze had ever seen; although not much of it could be seen through a shadowy haze that blanketed the room. For a moment Kaze struggled to get his bearings, taking him a few moments longer than usual to ascertain the size and scale of the hall.

His eyes adjusted to the gloom and he found that it was at least slightly lighter here than the hallways or the jail cell had been. They entered the hall through a gaping doorway at the far end of the room, and descended a wide staircase that lead them down to a sunken floor level.

Now that he was no longer hooked to a wall, Kaze found that the kink in his neck had eased a little as he looked up at the high ceiling. Unsurprisingly he found no light there. He was beginning to think Nohrians found great comfort in keeping darkness above their heads, when he noticed a few twisted iron chandeliers above the cobweb-riddled rafters. They hung cold and lifeless on old chains, and had likely remained that way for years.

The thought left him feeling a little cold and Kaze turned his eyes back down. But despite the darkness hanging above them, Kaze found a dull flickering glow coming from many torches propped at the base of massive stone pillars that lined the hall, lighting vividly the ivy, black moss and clawed roots that laced them. The light was low, but did enough to drive back most of the gloom, and cast deep shadows on the checkered tiles beneath their feet.

At least it wasn't completely black; that was as small a grace as any.

Their footsteps echoed with each step. A light chill nipped at Kaze's skin, but he pushed back the shiver. It was colder here than he thought it would be, though at least mercifully drier than the cell had been. He hoped it was nothing more than the cold that was causing his skin to prickle and crawl. Kaze exhaled slowly, looking for a ghostly wisp of his breath. For a moment he almost thought he saw it, but dismissed it as a play of the torch fire and his muddled senses.

How low were they now beneath the earth? Was it deeper than the cells, or had the guards brought them a little higher than that? Either way, somehow, Kaze could feel it. He was not exactly sure himself, but he had the otherworldly sense that this place was buried below miles of earth and stone. He could almost feel the weight of it pressing down on this room… and on _him_.

A chill ran through him as he looked up again to the high darkness. ' _…This place is like a coffin…'_ From the dour looks of his companions, Kaze wondered if they'd realized it too, and he shivered.

It wasn't a great improvement from the prison cell, but Kaze wasn't surprised. He never entertained the illusion that he would have been able to see the sky and the stars in his last moments, never mind the sun. Nohrians loved to do their dirty work in the depths and the dark, didn't they? He was about to find out first hand for sure. What a dreadfully black horizon indeed.

"What is that supposed to be?" Rinkah growled lowly under her breath, startling him from his darker thoughts.

What was what supposed to be? Turning to her in question he saw her sharp red eyes locked on something further off into the large hall. Squinting with her, Kaze noticed a wide plateau standing in the middle of the room. And there at the top of the stairs leading to it was what appeared to be a building. By any means it wasn't very impressive in either size or height, with four square walls and no roof of its own. Kaze likened it to some sort of fort, though he didn't know why or what it was doing in a place like this. As he looked closer he noticed the inside was piled high with debris: old tree roots, fallen pillars, and piles of earth all heaped together. A burial ground of junk, it seemed.

Kaze heaved a weary, resigned breath, and smelt something sweet. He jolted. ' _Wait… what was that?'_ Kaze paused, focusing his senses. There was something here, another scent beneath the stone and wet reek of earth. Something uplifting… something fresh. He chased it with his senses, trying not to move or turn his head to avoid the suspicion of the guards. Where was it coming from? His eyes scoured the room to the torches, the pillars, the iron spiders in the high black, and then settled on the fort. It was there! Something under the debris…

His brow twitched. ' _But what is…'_

A hard shove at his back broke his thoughts. He bit back a grunt, stumbled, but managed not to fall. Pain pulsed through him in angry throbs; that was going to leave a mark.

The guard behind him snarled. "Get moving, Hoshidan. You haven't got the pleasure to stand around gawking." Kaze's insides felt cold.

Rinkah was glaring bloody blazing murder at the guard, but Kaze discreetly shook his head. ' _It's fine…_ ' they might be able to hold on to life a little bit longer if they complied and played nice. Kaze thanked every god he knew when Rinkah didn't attack. She ground her teeth, glared blades at the guard, but kept silent.

He was getting more used to the lighting and scale of the room now, and looked beyond the fort to the further side. He saw the room rose again in a similar flight of stairs like the ones they'd come down, and at the top instead of a door was a risen level that looked a little like a stage. At the very back, placed against the furthest wall, was a throne—ornate and bright even at a distance. And sitting upon it was a man.

"Who the hell is that… at the back?" Rinkah hissed, red eyes fixed on the dark figure.

The man in the throne was a large shadow covered in lines of gold and crowned in a wreath of white. Nothing less than a royal for sure, perhaps he was even the king the guards had spoke of earlier. Kaze didn't ponder long for a sudden icy chill ran through him. He ground his teeth, shuddering to his core. Something was wrong—all his good instincts told him that. There was something unnatural and oppressive about this king. Kaze would not pin it down for sure, but all the sensible parts of him told him to run, to find a shadow to hide in, to get anywhere out of his gaze. But the chains and guards rooted him, and Kaze tried his best to steel himself and to force himself back into the role he'd been trained for all his life. To become a weapon, and a weapon does not feel fear.

A distant voice came to Kaze's ear and he spotted four people standing at the edge of the far stair like fence posts before the king. The aura of the man in the throne had been so smothering that he hadn't even noticed them until they spoke. He cursed himself a little for that; even exhausted that kind of neglect was inexcusable. He couldn't tell who the four were, and the distance wasn't helping, but figured them just as important as the man in the throne by their dress: all blacks, violets and golds.

As if it hadn't been made clear enough to him before, any shred of light he could have seen on the horizon went completely out. There could be only one outcome here. He saw sweat on Rinkah's brow and knew that she felt it too. He tried to steady his heart, but his mantras were wearing thin.

He waited for the guards to move, to grab them, to drag them across the room and throw them at the king's feet. Kaze had never been witness to an execution before, but he could imagine how it would go. The king would speak his dark words, no doubt labeling them scum and filth. He'd list their treasons, their sins, whether they'd really committed them or not, and perhaps with a sword or with an axe, with the four royals watching he would…

He would…

Kaze's heart started up, a deep frown creasing his face. The guards weren't moving. Why weren't they moving? If this was to be an execution than why were they not being brought beneath the king?

Before he had the chance to think up an answer, the guards approached. Kaze nearly choked on his breath, his body tightening automatically, bracing himself to be struck with fist or steel. Instead, with a clink of metal, he felt the freeing feeling of his heavy shackles being removed from his wrists.

Kaze blinked dumbfoundedly at his free hands. What was this?

A loud metallic clatter made him jump, and looking down Kaze found that the guards had thrown his shuriken at his feet. With a quick glance at his comrades, and seeing their weapons on the ground as well, he found he was not the only one left stupefied.

Kaze moved to grab his weapons but quickly stopped. ' _Wait… this isn't right. A trap? Will they cut me down the moment I arm myself?'_

But when he fixed a sharp glare on the guards, he saw that they were not lifting their weapons but instead backing away from him, their faces hidden behind their dark helms.

Their voices were like stone. "You'd best take those if you want to survive for a little longer. Although, with or without them, it won't really matter. You're all bound for the same end." And they stepped away to the edges of the room.

Rinkah glowered at them cautiously as she picked up her club and gave it a twirl. "The hell was that about? What is going on here?"

"I'm not sure," Kaze responded, gathering up his shuriken in the blink of an eye. "But I believe I understand a bit better what we've been taken here for."

"And what's that then?" she frowned.

Kaze's eyes scanned the room nervously, never lingering in one spot for more than a moment. "To battle."

A fiery sneer spread across Rinkah's face, showing sharp teeth, "A fight!? I thought we were here for an execution! Well, put a club in my hand and I'll show these Nohrian dogs who'll get executed alright!" she stomped her foot on the ground and Kaze squinted as a wave of hot air blew passed him. "I'll make them regret putting me in chains!" and her words burned.

Kaze kept his expression cool as he could. He reminded himself again that he was a weapon, and that steadied his heart a little. But even though a weapon is not supposed to feel fear, he couldn't completely rid its twisting and turning from his heart. Who were they here to fight? Kaze had a bad feeling about it that he couldn't shake, and kept himself cautious and on guard as he looked over at the four nobles and the man in the throne. They were talking but he wasn't close enough to hear whatever words they said. But as he watched them he realized that they weren't talking to each other, but to someone below them at the bottom of the stairs. From where he stood Kaze could not hear or see them from behind the low, sweet-smelling fort.


	4. fate

With a deep, bracing breath Corrin stretched her arms out in front of her and tried to ignore the popping and cracking that her joints made with it. Lightly she tapped her bare toes on the floor, brushed out her long cape to make sure that it hadn't bunched anywhere, and tightened the straps of her form-fitting armor. Everything was in place and everything was set. That meant the only thing left was…

Corrin slowly lifted the great black sword known as Ganglari, stared at it a moment, and tested the weight and feel of the blade by giving it a few experimental swipes and sweeps through the air. Her eyes followed the dark edge as it streaked through the darkness.

"Hmm," she lowered the sword and felt the weight pulling down her arm. It still felt heavy. She'd entertained the hope that the longer she held the sword the lighter it would become, but by now there didn't seem to be any chance of that happening. It was a small niggling discouragement, but she wouldn't let it stop her. Especially in front of her father and her siblings, she wouldn't let her nervousness show.

' _I guess… I'm not just used to it yet is all,'_ she could see Ganglari pulsing in a lurid black light from the corner of her eyes. Yes. That must have been it. After all, this sword was worlds different from the bronze and iron ones she was used to sparring with. But it wasn't simply just in design or in weight… but also in the way Ganglari felt.

As she looked down at it for just one moment, it almost didn't feel like a sword. For one moment it was almost something else. Something worse. Something like a…

Corrin frowned hard, and for a moment the hanging darkness felt like it was pressing down heavily upon the room… and upon her.

She craned her neck up at the high shadows. ' _This place almost feels like a…_ ' she shook her head.

It was barely a blade, hardly felt line one either, and something about it seemed to burn. Yes, she could feel it, a faint tingling where she clenched the handle running up her arm, and in her eyes whenever she saw it. Yes. Ganglari burned… oppressively like magma or like the dark heart of Krakenburg itself.

And for one moment… she felt like it was alive.

' _Maybe this sword in itself is like a test too…'_ she thought, letting her eyes wander over the blade that appeared like it was made of smoldering coals. A frown quirked her lips.

"Nervous, my lady?" came Gunter's voice from her left. His hard stare was fixed on the far end of the room, closely watching the prisoner's movements; though not much could be seen of them behind the fort. The corner of his upper lip curled in either seriousness or disgust and warped the scars on his face. The great knight's black plated armor seemed darker than usual in the great hall, hardly catching light even as his horse moved. The old steed he rode was just as stoic as he was. It grumbled almost like a great steel dog, standing proud at attention and at the ready. Gunter's eyes flicked to her, "Remember to take a deep breath and clear your mind. I am here to assist you in any way I can."

Corrin smiled, brushing her long white hair behind her shoulder. "Thank you, Gunter. I'm not afraid but… just between you and me I guess I do feel a little nervous."

"You need not worry, Lady Corrin," came a smoother voice from her right. A Nohrian dagger danced on Jakob's armored fingers as he gave the blade a deft swipe with a cloth, and inspected it from a few angles to make sure that it was clean and sharp. By the way in which it glinted white in the gloomy hall, Corrin figured it was. He smiled at her, "I am at your side as I always have been and always will be." He tossed the dagger up, it somersaulted a few times in the air, and when it dropped Jakob caught it expertly by the handle. He straightened the scarf around his neck and flashed her a reassuring smile as his violet eyes gleamed, "And at the risk of sounding immodest, I believe I will be all the help you need." His gaze turned to ice when he looked at Gunter, "It certainly doesn't need saying, but that old dog over there is getting a bit too on in years to be of any proper protection to you, I'm afraid."

Gunter snorted loudly, "Old dog!? Mind your tongue, you pup! My ears are still sharp as ever, I'll have you know!"

"Now, now!" Corrin put up her hands nervously. "Let's not fight each other before we've even engaged the enemy now."

Jakob turned up his nose. "Of course. I am at your command!"

Gunter gripped his lance firmly and his steed grumbled deeply, stamping and clattering the armor that plated it. "My lance arm is a bit rusty perhaps, but still as strong and as sharp as it has ever been! Allow me to demonstrate it firsthand, Lady Corrin."

Smiling, Corrin closed her eyes. ' _Somehow I feel a little bit more at ease. I wonder if their banter had anything to do with that. Oh well, I suppose it would be better not to say so, or else the two of them would never stop bickering._ ' She took a breath, put both hands on her sword, and looked determinedly out at their battlefield. "All right! Then let's begin!"

"You can do it, Corrin!" she heard Elise cheer.

"Be careful now, darling," Camilla's voice was much quieter and calmer, but filled with just as much affection as her younger sister's.

"Give them hell now," Corrin clearly heard the confident smirk in Leo's voice.

"Remember your training, little princess. This is as real a battle as any," hearing Xander's voice, firm and direct as ever, grounded her and steadied the gentle shaking of her heart.

Yes. He was right.

She felt her father's eyes on her, and her skin prickled. ' _Watch me… father. I'll prove to you how ready I am to leave my birdcage.'_ She clenched Ganglari and embraced its burn. ' _Don't take your eyes off me.'_

"Go…" the king's voice was a deep rumble. "Kill them all!"

And his words were a battle cry. Gunter's horse reared, Jakob set his stance, and Corrin lifted her blade. ' _To battle._ ' And they heard their enemies start to move.

She heard the thudding of many footsteps echo through the hall and ascertained that two groups were coming around from either side of the fort. And they were getting closer.

' _Now…which ones to engage first…,_ ' the footsteps coming from the right seemed lighter and quieter… most likely that was the smaller party. ' _Should I go over there with Jakob while I send Gunter to test the strength of the ones on the other side? Wait… no, I don't want to separate us too much. I still don't know what our enemies are capable of. It'd be best to move as one.'_ The footsteps were getting louder.

' _Either way I can't just stand here debating it forever. Let's move!_ ' Corrin took a step, her bare foot touched the ground, and she froze. Something like a jolt of electricity pulsed through her entire body in one great beat. Corrin's eyes spread wide, her pupils contracting to slits as the blood rushed loudly through her head.

What was… this feeling? This rumbling… this tremor… this sensation prickling the bottom of her feet and setting her blood on fire. Wait, no. She knew what this was. She'd felt it before. But where…? Where…?

Somehow, through her memories she found it. The image faded back in steadily, of a thousand stars pricking through an endless black sky. The night's wind bit cold through her armor and into her skin as clouds roamed over the moon far above the high black walls. Like an echo in the back of her head, she heard Xander's voice. ' _You should have sensed it as well…'_ Siegfried had been glowing, lighting his face from below in splashes of sharp violet. ' _The blood of the First Dragons flows through your veins as well…'_ and his eyes blazed red. ' _Wherever you may find it… harness it, Corrin.'_

Beneath her feet… she felt a pulse.

" _There is one here too…"_

Corrin came back to herself and fixed her eyes on the ground. Up the stairs at the top of the plateau… before the old fort walls! There it was! The heartbeat!

"Lady Corrin," Gunter glowered to his left, waiting for the enemy to appear from around the fort. The footfalls were getting louder. "Your orders?"

She didn't waste time using her eyes; she followed the feeling with her senses and sprinted to the top of the stairs before the old fort. At first she couldn't see it, but she knew it was here by the vibrations under her feet which had grown stronger than ever now. Following that, she scoured the floor and saw a small point on the top stair, pulsing like a distant star. Rippling waves of blue otherworldly mist steamed off of it like slow ocean waves.

"Lady Corrin?" Jakob's voice filled with confusion, "What is it you're doing?"

Corrin couldn't stop a smile. ' _So there was one here too! A Dragon Vein!'_ And stomped her foot down hard upon the light.

Like a burst of lightning she felt power rush through her from the bottom of her feet to the top of her head, shaking her bones and setting her blood on fire. The ground shook in a massive tremor which nearly caused Jakob to stumble and made Gunter's stoic horse rear. The quake became more and more violent, stopped in a breath, and with a tremendous burst of sound and air, the rubble of stone and wood that had filled the fort blew outwards. Chunks of the mess shot high up into the air, knocking the ceiling and raining down around the room.

"The hell is this!?" Rinkah growled, smacking away falling debris with her club while her companions shrieked and cowered behind her. She growled, squinting angrily through a raining wave of dust and smoke. ' _Just who the hell are we fighting against here…?_ '

"Oh wow!" Corrin heard Elise cheer over the steadily fading rumble, "Did you see that!? That was amazing, Corrin!"

"Well done…"

Corrin jolted at Garon's low voice. He sounded so warm… almost like he was proud of her. She couldn't remember the last time she'd ever heard her father sound anything like that before. Somehow, she couldn't help but smile.

"Good thinking, milady!" Gunter clomped up beside her on his horse. "This makes for the perfect place to ambush our foes. Shall we?"

Jakob came over and flashed a charming smile, "Stunning work, my lady. Of course a little dirt and debris would never be able to put a stop to you. Shall we show our enemies that they are no different?" a playful smirk danced in his eyes.

She nodded, "Let's do it!" and dashed into the fort.

Corrin expected her feet to hit the smooth, cool stone that the rest of the hall floor was built with, but instead, with a strange pattering clang, felt something like cold iron underfoot. Bewildered, she quickly looked down to find the ground of the fort made out of some iron grate with holes hardly big enough to catch her small toe.

"What the…?" she blinked.

Jakob scowled, his iron boots clanging with each step. "Not the kind of flooring I'd choose personally. I'd love to meet the _genius_ builders who thought this one up."

"Wait," Corrin put up her arm, "hush. What is that… sound…?"

She tried to squint through the tiny holes in the floor but saw nothing through the darkness. She could have sworn that somewhere she heard what sounded like the steady lapping of water. But here? Why? It seemed as though it was coming from below the grate, but why would there be water down there? ' _Wait… no! This isn't water! It's…!'_ And as if responding to her thoughts, a gentle calming light flickered to life from beneath her feet.

"Oh!" she gasped as the inside of the fort filled with watery light and shadows that splashed against Jakob and Gunter's smiling faces. "This is… healing ground!" just one breath of it made her feet like she was floating on her toes. "Wow, we're finding all sorts of stuff around here, huh?" Had this healing ground always been here, or was this been something that King Garon had taken the time and effort to set up for the occasion? She shook the thoughts away, no, there'd be a more appropriate time to think about those things later—preferably when they weren't in the middle of a battle.

Gunter's scars twisted as he smirked. "Your orders, Lady Corrin."

Even in the low light Corrin could gauge that the fort was about the size of a large room. The walls were low, only a little taller than Gunter on his horse, and there were only three ways in. Corrin immediately dismissed the idea that their enemies would waste their energy taking the long way around to try to cut them off from the way they'd come in. But even if they did it wouldn't matter.

She threw her hand to the side, "Gunter, hold off the enemy on the left. Jakob and I will back you up once we've taken care of the ones on the right! Try to stay on the healing ground and don't let them come in here!"

"As you will it!" Gunter turned and kicked the side of his horse.

Corrin's red eyes flickered excitedly, "You ready?"

Jakob put a hand on his chest and nodded deeply, "For you, always."

They made their way to the east entrance, and just as they reached the top of the steps the enemy appeared from around the corner. The Hoshidans halted suddenly, automatically raising their swords and glowering up at her, realizing at once they were at the disadvantage. Corrin had the high ground and was still on healing tiles from the top of the steps; all she would have do is wait for them to come to her. There was no other way out.

Resolved and grinding their teeth, the two samurai charged.

"Jakob."

His voice came smooth, "Of course." The dagger flashed in the light of the healing ground, and he whipped it at the enemy with one deft sweep. The blade buried itself deep in the first samurai's right shoulder, and he hardly had time to recover before another shot into his leg.

He growled loudly, but surprised Corrin by continuing his charge.

' _I guess there's something to be said of Hoshidan resolve,'_ she twirled Ganglari and rushed forward. The wounded samurai took a shallow, weak stab at her which she easily twirled around. She thrust the dark blade hard into the opponent's abdomen—he hacked loudly when it struck—and swept it upward, tearing through armor and flesh. The first samurai fell.

The second one surprised her by leaping over his fallen comrade and rushing at her with a reckless flurry of stabs and strokes. One came for her head and she ducked. He brought the blade down and she blocked. They held for a moment of clattering steel before she overpowered and pushed him back. The samurai stumbled on the stairs and Corrin took her chance to swing Ganglari down on him. He cried out, but somehow kept his feet. Corrin pursed her lips almost angrily, but before the samurai could recover for a counter attack, a dagger rushed by Corrin's head and he dropped like a fly, his katana clattering down the steps.

Corrin blew out a sigh, brushing back her hair and staring hard at her opponents to make sure they wouldn't be getting back up again.

Jakob came beside her, "Milady, are you all right? How do you feel? Do you need me to heal any injuries?"

"No," she breathed. "The worst they've done is torn my clothes," she lifted her arm to quickly inspect a small rip on the side of her armor, but knew at once it wasn't bleeding. "And the ground…" she took in a deep breath through her nose; it was fresh like the cool morning air at the fortress. "The ground here will mend up any little nicks and cuts they do manage to get in. Let's go regroup with Gunter!"

She could hear the clanging of weapons from just behind them and made haste.

Corrin came up behind him, hardly able to see the enemies from around his great steed. "How are you doing, Gunter?"

"This one's not afraid to die, it seems," he didn't look back at her as he easily parried a few blows from a sword. "He's about done."

Corrin held her breath a moment, considering what best to do. "Alright, Jakob, please finish this up!"

Gunter quickly picked up on what Corrin meant to do and yanked back on his reins, moving his horse aside. Fast as lightning Jakob whipped a dagger at the ragged and beaten samurai. He fell with a gurgling cry. Behind him, a brute bolstering a ghoulish looking club stomped forward to take his place.

Corrin flashed a smirk, "Let's take this one down together, Gunter!"

The old man smiled pleasantly, "I live to serve."

Corrin quickly stepped up in front of Gunter so that the old man and his hulking horse blocked the path behind her. The Oni Savage snarled beneath his mask and let out a great roar. He hoisted his club high above his head and threw it down with tremendous force.

"Watch out!" Gunter barked, but Corrin could see the blow coming from miles away and easily stepped back.

The iron club smashed onto the steps, cracking the stone and sending up a small shower of rubble.

Corrin smirked, clenching Ganglari tight in her hand. ' _He's packing a lot of power but…'_  
"You're too slow!"

Before her opponent even had a chance to lift his club, she brought Ganglari down on him, tearing into his bulky shoulder. But instead of falling like she'd expected him to, the savage reeled back, recovered, and came back at her with a wild storm of blows. Keeping light on her toes Corrin hopped and stepped aside and around each one. If that club was as heavy as it looked, Corrin figured he wouldn't be able to keep this up with a wound like that weighing him down. Pain inhibited after all, she knew very well. ' _As long as I keep moving I can ride this out_ '.

The savage roared, trying to lift his club, but the pain finally got the better of him and his good arm went slack.

Corrin flicked her eyes to Gunter and jerked her chin at the savage. The old knight nodded.

"Pardon me," Gunter thrust a finishing blow into the broken warrior.

The Hoshidan gurgled on blood, reached out blindly, and tumbled back down the steps. He hit the bottom hard, rolled out into the room, and came to a stop at someone's feet.

The smile on Corrin's face disappeared. She felt something suddenly: dread… and an oppressive weight in the air—like rising heat. It wafted up to her and prickled her skin.

The last warrior standing looked up at the little princess, and red eyes met red.

Rinkah rocked her club on her shoulder, looking down with a scowl at her beaten comrade writhing beneath her. She huffed loudly. "Great…" she glowered, twisting the lines of red paint on her face.

Corrin felt her throat grow a little dry and put up Ganglari defensively before her. Without a breath, she waited.

"You…" Rinkah's voice was low, her eyes smoldering beneath white bangs. "Your name. What is it?"

"I am Corrin," she said, not daring to lower her guard, "a princess of Nohr. May I ask who you are as well, Hoshidan Warrior?"

She spit air. "I am Rinkah!" her voice bursting loudly like fire. "I am the daughter of the Flame Tribe's honorable Chief! And there is no way that I will let you burn me out!" Rinkah lifted her club and charged.

Corrin had only a moment to brace herself as Rinkah closed the gap in a flash and smashed her club down on Ganglari. The dark blade screamed.

"Grgh!" Corrin tried to hold strong, but felt herself being pushed back. "Move back, Gunter! I can't hold her!"

Gunter pulled back just in time. Rinkah followed her first attack with a relentless flurry of powerful strikes and blows—one for the head, one for her side, one heading for her feet. Corrin couldn't dare blink and put all of her strength into blocking and parrying each one. She counted herself lucky that Ganglari was so large, for a smaller sword would not have covered her so well. But with its size came weight, and Corrin felt her arms screaming louder with each blow. She stepped back, bare feet pattering on the grate. Rinkah followed, the fire swirling around each of her strikes making each one more deadly.

Corrin grit her teeth hard. ' _Flame Tribe indeed! I see that name's not just for show. If one of those hits me I'll have more to deal with than just broken bones'_

"Is blocking all you can do!?" Rinkah roared, smacking her club against Ganglari.

Corrin gasped as she lost her footing and stumbled clumsily backward. Flinching, she braced herself to fall on her back but instead thudded hard against the armor of Gunter's horse. Bewildered, she blinked up at him.

"Lady Corrin, are you all right? What are your orders?"

What _were_ her orders?

Bewildered and out of breath, Corrin whipped back to Rinkah, expecting a follow up attack. But instead she found the flame warrior standing cautiously in the middle of the room, studded club risen half in guard and half in challenge. Corrin felt the cold armor of Gunter's horse on her skin, and shivered.

She started. ' _Wait, Gunter! Why am I afraid? I have Gunter and Jakob with me! If we all act together there's no way that she can beat me…'_

"Gunter! Jakob!" Corrin took a breath, but her orders died in her throat. ' _Wait…'_ Inside the gloom of the fort it was easy to forget that she was being watched. The weight and dull ugly light of Ganglari was a good enough reminder of Garon's eyes. Corrin chewed her lip. ' _No. I can't rely on Jakob and Gunter for this. If I'm to prove myself to father… then I need to win this battle on my own.'_ She put a firm hand on the armor of Gunter's horse and pushed herself forward.

' _This room is too small!'_ An idea came to her, and it was risky to say the least, ' _But I need to get out of here.'_

She wouldn't be able to get passed Rinkah to the west entrance without getting a little singed. So that meant the only way out was to come back the way they came. Corrin dashed for the south exit.

Like a hawk Rinkah's eyes followed her. "Hey! Where do you think you're running, Nohrian!?" and taking the bait, charged after her.

Corrin heard Jakob calling out for her, but his words were lost under her heavy breathing and thudding heart. She'd left the fort, descended down the small stairs and came back to the floor and faced the wide open hall.

"Done running away?" Rinkah stomped menacingly toward her, club glowing in dull orange light.

"No," Corrin shook her head, showing a weak smile. "In fact, this is where we can truly begin!"

Rinkah cocked an eyebrow, lip curling over her sharp teeth. "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

Corrin took Ganglari with both hands and pointed the sharp end. "Here I can move!"

Corrin broke into a dash in an arc directly toward Rinkah. The speed caught the Flame Tribe warrior off guard and she hastily brought up her club just in time to block a hard sweep from Ganglari. A second after the blades met Corrin drew back, and feeling the pressure relieved, Rinkah lashed out again but struck nothing. She blinked. Nothing was there!

Rinkah caught movement in the corner of her eye and was just able to block another side-strike from the princess. Rinkah's iron club pressed up against her arm, the only thing separating that black blade from her skin. ' _Trying to hit my good arm… damn…'_

Rinkah shifted her feet so that she faced Corrin dead on as their weapons clattered together.

There was a smile in the princess' red eyes, "You're strong!"

Rinkah's lip twitched, "Say what!?"

Corrin was almost laughing, "I think you fight more passionately than anyone I've ever sparred with before. You're like flame… like an inferno… and you burn… so brightly."

"Rgh! Enough of your chatter!" Rinkah flared in strength and pushed Ganglari backward. Corrin stepped back instead of stumbling, and easily evaded a swing at her head.

Without walls to halt her Corrin flowed and moved around every blow like water. "You blaze…" she whispered through the wind of each fiery strike. "And with every move you make you're blazing brighter! You know, I'm really glad that I was able to battle with someone like you!"

Corrin caught the club with the sharp edge of her blade.

Rinkah's breath caught, ' _I can't… push her back!?'_

Corrin's eyes shone red, "But I can't let myself be stopped by you!" and with a great heave pushed Rinkah back.

The warrior teetered on the heel of her feet, club slipping from her sweaty palms. She balked, breath caught, and Corrin struck. Rinkah felt the force hit her, blow the breath out of her, and tasted blood. Corrin twirled on her heel, putting the momentum into a powerful horizontal sweep which smashed Rinkah's club out of her hands with a mighty clang. The weapon spun through the air wildly and crashed hard into a stone wall.

Rinkah's world became weightless. For a moment that seemed to stretch on forever, she couldn't tell what was up or what was down, or whether it was the floor or the ceiling that her face was falling toward. She hit the ground in a small burst of dust. A wave of pain pressed down over her, growing stronger with every breath, and her heart pounded loudly in her ears. Her hand twitched. It was empty.

' _My… club… damn it…'_ she tried to look up but her eyes rolled. A shadow stood over her. ' _I… lost…'_ And she faded out.

Corrin lowered her dark blade and hissed a breath out through her lips. "You fought well…" her words came out a low murmur. "Thank you."

"Lady Corrin!" she turned to see Jakob sprinting toward her, his voice and eyes wild with worry. "Are you all right? How do you feel!? Are you wounded?"

She laughed, hearing Gunter clomping up slowly behind her butler too. "It's all right, Jakob. I'm fine… just barely…" but her voice was shaking as much as her hands, and by how unconvinced Jakob looked he seemed to notice it too.

"You fought well, milady," Gunter said. Towering atop his horse he looked threatening and his expression was impassive, but Corrin heard the warmth in his voice and couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you, Gunter. That last warrior, from the Fire Tribe… was a lot stronger than I thought…"

"You did a splendid job, Lady Corrin. Now please, let me mend some of these scratches," the way Jakob continued to worry on made her heart feel so warm that she couldn't help but smile.

She felt her hair sway and heard her cape flutter quietly as a fresh breeze wafted by. Corrin took in a deep breath. It was so fresh… and a little sweet, nothing like the cold morning air from the Northern Fortress. Her eyes fluttered, nearly closing, as her cape moved like a dark shadow at her back. It felt… nice.

The wind even breathed in deep, dark places like this huh…

Her hair twirled weightlessly and tickled her neck.

' _Wind…'_

Her eyes flashed open, heart pounding to life. Her hand clenched down hard onto her sword. This was no breeze!

"Jakob! Move!" Corrin shoved her butler aside as a blade swept up from below and caught her in the shoulder, drawing blood.

She saw eyes, dark and deep like a stormy sky, locked on to her, bore into her, and for a moment knew that she was going to die. She expected the cold sting of a blade to tear across her throat or pierce into her chest. Expected to feel her life slipping away from her grasp as everything went black. Their eyes met for a moment that was forever, and then the shadow hopped backward out of her reach. It landed soundlessly across from her, and the figure rose to full height.

Beads of blood stained the floor at her feet as she curled forward in pain. ' _Damn… Now where in these shadows have you been hiding…?'_

One last warrior was left in the hall. Dressed peculiarly unlike the samurai and the oni, with blades on his arms and a red scarf draped around his neck, Corrin at first didn't recognize what he was. And not knowing was a little scary. The Hoshidan watched them unblinkingly, but made no further move to attack. Held between his index and middle finger Corrin saw the weapon that struck her. It was shaped a little like an iron star, and still dripped with her blood.

She squinted at it, clenching her throbbing shoulder. ' _Is that… a shuriken? Is he a ninja?'_

"Lady Corrin!" Jakob's words suddenly became coherent. "How careless of me to allow something like this to happen to you! I'll heal you at once!" the glow of his staff lit her face, and she felt the pain in her shoulder gradually ease.

Corrin kept her eyes fixed on the ninja, anticipating his next move, whatever it was going to be. She tried to calm her hammering heart and focus. Where would he come from next? The side? The front? Would he reappear out of thin air again just like a shadow? A cold fear crept into her chest, involuntarily making her shudder. ' _I've never fought a ninja before. What am I supposed to do?_ ' she had never been trained to fight warriors that slipped in and out of shadows like smoke and moved without a sound. She clenched her bleeding shoulder hard. ' _Oh what do I do… what do I do… what… wait…_ ' Corrin's eyes narrowed sharply at the ninja, and she pushed aside her fear enough to realize that he wasn't moving. He still stood across from her in the hall, waiting and watching silently. Corrin frowned in confusion, but gladly took the moment to steady her heart and her breath.

' _What is he doing? Why isn't he moving…?_ '

Gunter clomped up beside her on his horse, glowering hard at their enemy. "Hmph! He was a bit of a slippery one, wasn't he?" Corrin felt a little relieved that she wasn't the only one who hadn't seen him coming. "Please forgive my negligence, Lady Corrin. I swear on my honor that he won't lay another hit on you."

Jakob clenched hard on his staff as he mended her, "For once, I agree with the old man," his face darkened murderously. "Once I have you healed, Lady Corrin, let's teach him a lesson he won't soon forget."

Corrin found herself smiling; their assurance rid almost all of the icy fear from her heart. ' _Look at me, shaking like a leaf in the wind. What do I have to be worried about? Jakob and Gunter are with me, and anyone in their right mind would be scared of Jakob when he's making a face like that…'_ she gasped, ' _Wait, of course!_ '

She looked back at the ninja. Of course. He understood the situation he was in immediately: he was outnumbered and at a tragic disadvantage. The deep wound he'd landed on her was nothing more than a scratch now and unlike her, he stood alone. All his comrades had been beaten and their blood was already drying on the checkered floor tiles. He'd lost, and he knew that as well as Corrin and her retainers did.

Corrin gripped her shoulder, feeling the still wet blood seep into her gloves. ' _That strike was supposed to have killed me.'_ But he had failed. Somehow, she had seen him. ' _And I'm still alive.'_

Although he was old, Gunter was menacing to say the least. The ninja's shuriken would barely leave a scratch on his thick armor. And Jakob was a cleric who could heal any wounds the ninja would be lucky enough to land. Corrin could see it in his eyes, see it in the way he stood there and watched them without a flicker of expression across his face. He knew that if he attacked them he would lose and he would die. But running was not an option either… for either of them. So all that he could do was wait for the enemy to come to him.

As she slowly got her breath back, a shaky smile snaked its way onto Corrin's face. Her voice was weary and broken by her labored breathing, but she tried to keep it clear enough to hear, "Well… now. You're certainly… a fast one. I almost didn't see you coming…" ' _I guess I was lucky to feel that breeze when I did._ ' With the last of the pain fading, she stood straight and looked her enemy in the eye, "I've never seen anyone move like you before. Is it alright if I ask you name?"

She thought she saw a flicker of surprise in the ninja's eyes, but if it had ever been there at all it was gone the moment it had come. With his face like a wall and eyes sharp as his blades, she couldn't help but think that he looked a little like a weapon.

Corrin smiled weakly, tilting her head, "Not going to tell me? Well, I can understand if you don't want to, I guess. But if I could… I would like to refer to you as something other than just 'Hoshidan'."

The ninja was silent a moment longer, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on her. He took a short breath through his nose, closed his eyes and said, "I am known as Kaze."

She took a slow, silent breath. "Kaze…" the unfamiliar, foreign name passed her lips slowly. "… _Kaze_ …" she sounded it out slowly, "I see!" her smile was bright in the dark hall, "I guess that means you're just like the wind!"

The ninja's brow creased deeply, his frown hard. He felt ill, but didn't know why.

"Oh!" she said suddenly, "I suppose I should introduce myself to you too! I'm Corrin!"

For a moment Kaze thought he smelt something that should not have been there. In this dark, old and ruined hall he thought he felt a warm breeze, carrying the scent of blossom and of warm grass in the sun. But as soon as it had come it was gone, and his throat was left dry. His eyes went wide.

The name broke past his lips in a quavering breath, "…Corrin!?"

The girl across the hall tilted her head, blinking her big red eyes. "What's wrong?" he jolted at her voice. "What is that look for? You look like you've seen a ghost."

He felt his muscles tighten, and slowly brought up his weapon. ' _I dearly wish that I have.'_

"Do you know someone who has the same name as me? Maybe you have a friend back in Hoshido like that, hm?" she kept on smiling even when he was silent, even under his smothering glare. A short silence stretched on, and Corrin sighed, "Oh well, I suppose none of it matters anymore." Her shoulder felt much lighter now, and all that was left of the ninja's first blow was a tear in her armor. She pointed Ganglari at him and the blade glowed black. "I'm afraid that if you want to survive, then you will have to fight me."

Kaze didn't look away. _Corrin…_ The name _was_ a ghost. The young woman across from him, black sword in hand, eyes bright in the darkness and with a voice that, for some reason, reminded him of laughter. Was it possible that she could be…?

His weapon felt heavy in his hand.

He shook his head, pushing the thoughts as far away from him as he could, into the darkest parts of his mind. Even if she was… even if it was her… what could he do about it now and in a place like this? More than ever the walls of this room felt like they were pressing down and closing him in. There's not a single way out.

His hand tightened on his shuriken to stop it from shaking.

Not a single way out…

Kaze took a deep, bracing breath and pushed everything away. The cold, the fear, the memory of a bright smile in the warmth of the sun… and became a weapon. ' _Perhaps…_ ' he lifted his shuriken, _'this is the way that it was always meant to be…'_ and he readied himself for battle.

"Lady Corrin, allow me to assist you. I will personally teach this filth a lesson for daring to harm you," Jakob seethed, all signs of the cool and collected man from earlier now entirely gone. Hatred gushed from his words, and he didn't even attempt to hide it from his face. Corrin couldn't help but shiver, counting herself glad she was his ally and not enemy.

She shook her head and managed a smile. "Jakob, Gunter. It's all right. I can finish things up from here."

She felt Gunter's eyes on her.

"On your own!?" Jakob gasped, his expression instantly softening to overwhelming concern. "Milady, are you certain of this?"

She nodded, not taking her eyes off the lone ninja.

"If I may be so bold, I believe this to be reckless," Jakob insisted; Corrin noticed his hands shaking. "Together he will stand no chance against us, but on your own you're likely to be harmed further… if something ever happened to you… I…I don't know what I would…"

"Jakob," her voice came firm and her eyes didn't move from the enemy. "I'm not pushing you away. If it looks like I'm about to get my head lopped off, by all means do come in and assist. But I want…" she pressed her lips tight together. Father was watching. Behind the row of her siblings, she could feel his gaze on her, weighing almost as heavy on her heart as the sword she held. After defeating Rinkah she had let her guard down and allowed that ninja an opening that had almost took her life. There was no doubt father would take that into account. ' _If I'm to prove myself to him… I'll have to do this on my own. I will show him.'_ But she daren't look at him. ' _Watch me, father.'_

She took another breath, "I want to do this on my own."

' _I will show you that I can soar.'_

Kaze was confused when Corrin's soldiers stepped away from her. She brandished Ganglari and set her stance.

The ninja was not sure why she had opted for single combat, and while it should have made him more relieved, for some reason he felt the pit in his stomach grow heavier. It was hard to swallow, hard to breathe. He crouched, battle ready, and brought up his stained shuriken. The words of the guard came back to him. Weapon or not, this play could only have one end. He stared down at her, hardly daring to breathe. Win or lose wouldn't matter either… would it?

"Is Corrin going to fight this one on her own?" Elise glanced nervously at Gunter and Jakob as they backed further away toward the edge of the room. "She'll be okay, right?"

"It's risky…" Leo viewed the building scene with a cool detachment that was heard in his voice just as clearly as it was seen on his face. "But I can't say I don't understand why she's chosen to do this. Defeating this opponent on her own will win her father's favor, no doubt. But whether she wins or not is entirely up to her."

"Leo!" Elise puffed her cheeks. "Could you sound any colder?! You could at least try to be more supportive! How about smiling and saying 'don't worry! Our big sis has got this!'"

Leo's eyes narrowed, his frown crooked. "I'm trying to be realistic. And was that supposed to be an impression of me? Because I certainly do not sound like that."

"I know our darling little sister will win," Camilla cooed, winding a purple lock of hair around her finger. "And even, in the very unlikely event, if she were to lose… I would pay that ninja back tenfold for every little mark he gave her."

The room seemed to get a bit colder and Elise and Leo shuffled away from Camilla a few steps.

"Umm…" Elise leant over so that she could see passed her other siblings to her eldest one at the end of the line. "Xander! What do you think?! Corrin has definitely got this in the bag, right!?"

Xander's face, as per usual, was hard as stone and fixed in a serious glower. He watched Corrin and the ninja unblinkingly. It was a moment before he responded, and Elise was starting to wonder if he'd actually heard her. "We all know full well how hard Corrin has fought for this chance and this day. If she truly wishes to show father the fruits of her labors, and how far she has come to get here, she will not lose. She wants more than anything to walk into the world outside of her fortress. Because of that, I believe she will not allow herself to fall here."

Elise stared seriously at Xander with big, wide eyes, and his words slowly sank in. "Yeah!" she burst and punched her fist in the air. "I believe in Corrin too! There's no way she can lose, because our big sister is the best!"

Leo smirked and lightly brushed his bangs with the back of his hand. ' _Such childish optimism… from the both of them…'_ And yet. "That's right," he said. "Corrin won't let herself lose."

"Of course!" Camilla smiled. "She knows I've got her back every step of the way! You can do this, darling!"

But their words were lost on her as Corrin devoted all of her focus on to the enemy. She knew that in battle the only thing that mattered was what was directly in front of your eyes. The entire world beyond the lone ninja became nothing more than a shadowy blur. Not even daring to draw a breath she stared him down from across the room. The moment dragged.

A frown quirked her lips, ' _Not going to move, Mister Ninja? Even after my retainers have left me and I've made us equal?'_ He had been so bold with his first attack and now he was playing it cautious?' _That's no fun,_ ' Corrin shook her head. ' _No fun at all, my friend._ '

She knew if they were going to get moving again, she would need to be the one to lead this next dance into life. By the weight in her hands she knew it. By the look in his eyes and the blood stained on his star-like weapon… she knew.

' _Very well, then. Let's dance, Hoshidan!_ ' and she broke into a charge.

Corrin had always thought herself a quick runner. Xander was tremendously strong, but one thing Corrin thought she could beat him at more often than not was speed. Xander was quick but not fast, and often mounted he was much better at parrying or blocking rather than evading. Corrin found that not riding a horse, she could slip aside quite a few of his blows before confidence got the better of her and he'd strike her down. The most important thing Corrin learned after fights and failures against him was that she moved best on her feet, and that was the main reason why she had chosen to go unmounted unlike her other siblings. Speed was not just how fast you could run, but how quickly you could move.

Ganglari weighed heavy on her arms as she closed in on the ninja and swung at him. The black blade seemed to fade right through him, and in a breath of wind he was gone. At least from her eyes. But while her eyes did not see him, her body could feel it. There was a breeze on the back of her neck.

 _Behind me…_

Her entire body screamed at her. _Move!_ She whipped around to see the ninja's shuriken closing in on her. He thrust it at her in a punch, but as she turned to face him she twisted her body just enough to avoid a direct blow. A sneer spread across her face as she heard her armor tear without the sting of pain. She kept her red eyes locked on to his.

A deep line creased his brow, and his lips pressed into a frown.

Her sneer spread. ' _Maybe I move faster than you think!'_

Before confidence could get the better of her, she spotted a glint of metal and saw a second shuriken in his other hand. As it closed in, a cold spark of terror ran through her. This time she didn't even think. Corrin stepped backward swiftly, her body twisting and weaving around every swipe and blow he punched at her. She cringed as she heard the tear of her armor and cape, this time accompanied with the belated sting of pain.

He's hitting…

Kaze didn't give her a chance to catch her breath and continued his onslaught without pause. Unlike hers, his weapons were small which meant he could move quicker. His blows might have been shallow scratches and nicks, but they were landing. Corrin felt her body burning, felt her lungs aching, and the taste of iron in her dry throat. She grit her teeth and forced herself to keep moving.

' _I can't think that it hurts…_ ' she forced the pain away, turning the burning into vigor. ' _If I slow down for even an instant then I'm finished…!_ ' As she spun, drops of red spattered onto the ground around her. ' _I can't think that it hurts…_ '

She swung Ganglari blindly, furiously, hoping to catch him or at least break his assault. But the blade whooshed through thin air. The ninja hopped back ever light on his feet, landed and whipped his stars at her just like Jakob had thrown his daggers. Her stomach only had a second to sink.

' _Those can't hit me!_ '

Corrin swung Ganglari furiously and cut his iron stars out of the air with a loud clang. They bounced off the blade and whipped off into the darkness. She smirked, peeking out over her sword to find another wave of shuriken flying at her. She choked a gasp, moving to swing Ganglari again, but one caught her hard in the shoulder and made her stumble.

Nearly falling to her knees, the words flashed in her head like a torch being lit in a black room. ' _I'm not moving._ ' And Corrin knew well enough from countless sparring matches that one second is all it took. She scrunched her eyes shut, waiting for the killing gust of wind, for the ninja to appear out of the darkness with it and finish her. She braced herself and waited for it… waited for it… but it didn't come.

Cautiously she cracked an eye open and found the ninja standing still across the hall. His kunai caught the dull light of the torches, flashing on the sharp edge. His face remained a hard, cold wall.

Corrin's face warped into a bitter grimace. ' _Why…_ ' the way he just stood there, watching... ' _If you see your opening why don't you just take it!?'_ In the sudden calm and silence the pulsing pain in her wounds took its chance to speak up. She felt it clearly now no matter how hard she tried to force it aside, along with the sticky unpleasant wetness of her fresh beading blood. She ascertained at once the deepest one was the newest wound on her shoulder. The rest were lighter, nowhere near as deep, but she didn't count that much of a lucky blessing if anything. Even the shallow wounds stung, and she knew very well that pain inhibited and slowed.

Ganglari sagged in her hand, weighing down her arm more than ever. Pursing her lips and lightly grinding her teeth she growled lowly. ' _Why did this sword have to be so heavy…!?'_ But even heavier than that was the weight of Garon's eyes. She could feel him, almost see his black form from the gloom of the plateau. And that gaze was even more cutting than the pain.

"You really do… move fast," she wheezed, hunched but still standing, hair splayed over her damp forehead. ' _This pain can't stop me. It won't stop me.'_ "You are… just like the wind."

His expression seemed to darken, but Corrin didn't know why.

"You know…" she murmured, trying to keep her eyes in focus, "I have some strange little feeling that you're not taking this battle as seriously as you could be." Despite how he tried to hide it, despite how quickly he tried to rid the look off his face, she saw his expression falter. Corrin clenched her teeth, took a breath and straightened her back, rising to full height. "Am I right then? Is that how it is, Kaze?" she saw him cringe when she said his name. ' _Why…!? What is wrong with you?_ ' She went on, "Is it because you think you will die here? Is it because you think no matter whether you win or lose you're only going to meet the same fated end?" She didn't expect him to answer, and wasn't surprised at all by the silence. "Is that how a true warrior of Hoshido acts?" she put the question in her eyes as much as her voice.

Still, there was only silence.

Corrin heaved another sigh. "Then if you won't let yourself fight seriously, then I will make you fight me with everything that you are." She opened her red eyes wide and looked right in to him, her hands tightening painfully on Ganglari's handle. ' _You move fast…_ ' she took a deep breath, letting the musty old air of the basement hall fill her lungs. ' _You move like no one else I've ever seen before. You really are… just like the wind._ ' Corrin saw the surprise on his face as she smiled brightly. "Then if you are the wind, then I'll move like the wind too!"

She closed her eyes, pointed Ganglari at him, and stepped.

Her cape danced at her back like a shadow. She whipped around and Ganglari clattered loudly against the weapons in Kaze's hands. The blades met as if time had stopped, gentle sparks bursting from the steel, reflecting minute in Kaze's gray eyes. His lip curled and he broke away, vanishing.

Corrin felt a breath at her side and moved. Kaze appeared out of the gloom and swiped, but Corrin weaved aside the blow with a twirl. Kaze faded again, vanished, and struck again from behind her, but Corrin was already moving to face him. His shuriken clanged heavily against Ganglari. He grit his teeth, leapt back, and vanished again.

Corrin felt the wind moving all around her, fluttering her cape, tickling her skin and chilling the fresh blood that pulsed from her wounds. Kaze struck from all angles, a fury of deadly fast swipes, punches, and jabs. But Corrin moved toward each one, and instead of the tear of armor and flesh, the hall rang loud with the clash of blades. After being blocked from a strike that should have taken out an eye, Kaze leapt back and landed soundlessly a few feet away. Not even stopping for breath his shuriken flashed on his fingers and he whipped them at her.

Corrin turned slowly, her eyes wide and sharp, her cape flaring behind her, and ran into them. Kaze balked, choking a breath as Corrin weaved between them like a leaf in the wind. They tore through her tattered cape but didn't hit skin.

Her eyes locked on him. On nothing else but him, ' _If you move fast then I just have to move faster!'_ She broke into a charge, ' _If I can't see you, then I will have to feel you!'_ Corrin went on the offensive and assailed him great swings, jabs and sweeps of the blade. Ganglari tore through the air in a sharp black line.

' _It's fast…!_ ' Kaze grit his teeth hard. ' _How is she able to keep up with me? Just a moment ago she was…_ ' the image of her smile flashed in his head, and his heart ached heavily. ' _Why!?_ ' despite his mantras, he could feel the panic starting to sink back in like a cold blade on the edge of his neck. With every strike of her sword he dodged, the feeling only grew stronger. And for a moment, it almost consumed him. For a moment… Ganglari almost caught him.

The memory of her smile flashed in his mind.

 _You're not taking this fight seriously, are you?_

Yes… why was that?

Was it because he thought he would lose? Was it because that even if he did win, this dance could only have one end?

Was that how a true warrior of Hoshido acted?

Through the panic and through the aching of his heart a single word rose to the surface of his mind.

Wind.

' _Yes…_ ' he felt his heart beating loudly in his ears, and he clenched hard onto his weapons. ' _That is what I am!_ '

Another feeling blazed inside of his chest, burning through all of his hesitance and his fear. ' _You are fighting me with everything that you are…_ ' Ganglari rose high above him and dropped like the blade of a guillotine. ' _Then…_ ' Kaze grit his teeth and clenched hard onto his shuriken. ' _As a warrior, and as a proud ninja of Hoshido… I will respond with everything that I have!'_

Ganglari smashed hard onto Kaze's shuriken in a burst of sparks. Corrin's eyes opened wide as she tried to push down more force and overpower him. ' _He's… caught me?!'_

Kaze planted his feet hard and with a roar he put all of his strength into this arms and pushed Ganglari back.

"Whoa!" Corrin stumbled back. She quickly recovered and whipped her blade back down, but struck only air. Her eyebrow twitched. ' _He's gone again…!? Wait!_ ' a gust of wind made her tattered cape plume, and she whipped around on her heel to meet Kaze head on. Their blades smashed together.

With a wide, excited smile spreading across her face, Corrin went on the offensive again. "Now that's more like it, Kaze!"

Kaze kept his eyes locked on the blade, moving aside every stroke that he could, erasing his presence to sink into the shadows and attack from any blind spots or openings that he could find. Ganglari was large, but it couldn't cover her completely. Corrin was fast and reflexive… ' _But I can be faster._ '

The wind is not seen, the wind is not caught, and the wind stops for nothing.

 _And that is what I am._

Her attacks, while powerful, were wild and Kaze could see that black sword coming from a mile away. ' _There is no way that you will ever hit me with that!_ '

Without feeling the pain… without feeling the exhaustion, he fought with all of the strength he had. Whether win or lose, whatever end this had, he fought on.

Their blades knocked together again and again in raucous bursts.

The wind is not caught…!

Kaze hadn't felt the first time it nicked him. The adrenaline had been pumping so furiously through his body that things like pain, like the ache of his muscles or the beating of his heart were numbed out, irrelevant, distant. But he began to feel it with every strike he evaded. He could hear his armor cracking and his clothes tearing, and with it came the belated sting of pain. A chilling realization rushed through him, and when he looked back into Corrin's blazing eyes… he realized she was getting faster.

' _How…?_ ' he immediately ruled out the possibility that he was getting slower. Ninja were trained rigorously not to let exhaustion inhibit them in battle, and she was the one who was wounded and laced with blood. He felt the air rush passed him as Ganglari missed his head. ' _Wait…_ ' he realized it then. It wasn't so much that she was moving faster but that… ' _She's moving with me…!_ '

As she continued her attack, he looked right into her eyes and realized she wasn't looking at him at all. More than just seeing, Corrin was feeling for him. Listening for the hard exhales of his breath, for his feet hitting the ground, for his wind. And she heard it.

He was unable to evade a side-swipe and just barely managed to block. Their blades clattered and his arms rang with pain all through the bone. She held him a moment, and then lashed out again. Instead of dodging Kaze switched to blocking and parrying, and managed to stave off most deadly and hard blows. But he could feel it as their weapons clattered, as their eyes stayed fixed on one another, as sparks rained around them—he could feel her blade landing and drawing his blood.

' _She can see me…!? But how…!?'_ There were not many who could predict a ninja's strikes—Kaze had never met any who had lived very long. Yet somehow she was…

Kaze grit his teeth and leapt backward, throwing another round of shuriken, one burst and then another. Corrin ran right toward them without a second of hesitation and stepped around them gracefully. She stopped hard and cut the second wave out of the air. She felt Kaze tear by her in a breath but did not feel steel cut her. She whipped around just in time to see another wave of white stars zip by her. She brought up Ganglari defensively as fast as she could but one caught her in the leg and another nicked her cheek.

A wicked sneer spread across her face and she bolted toward Kaze, taking him off guard.

' _She's smiling?'_

"Wow!" Elise burst, hopping in place. "Are you seein this!? Because I'm barely seeing this! The two of them are moving so quickly my eyes can hardly keep up with them!"

"That's ninjas for you, I suppose," Leo's expression remained calm, but his brown eyes quickly darted about as he watched. He would never admit it, but it was a bit hard for him to follow the fight too.

"Corrin is doing a fine job so far keeping up with him," Xander noted. "Time and time again I've witnessed novice warriors grow slower and wearier in battles with these Hoshidan ninja. They begin to stumble and slip up, and quickly their strength is drained…" he paused, and the sharp clang of blades filled the silence, echoing throughout the hall. "Corrin is tired. She is bleeding and sore… but for some reason she isn't slowing down. Hmm."

"That's our Corrin for you," Camilla's cheeks flushed in pride. "She's not about to let some little Hoshidan get the better of her."

"You know… Hey, I just figured out what the two of them look like they're doing," a fond smile warmed Elise's face, "…it looks like they're dancing!" Her siblings turned to look at her.

"Like they're what?" Leo scoffed. "This is a battle, Elise. Not some silly waltz."

She made a face, "Oh could you just use some imagination for once in your life, Leo! Just look at them! Just look how they're moving!"

Her siblings looked to the battle again and watched Corrin's flowing movements. Yes… she was flowing, like water. She stepped gracefully almost like if in a dance, her body weaving and twirling around every glinting blade in the air. Ganglari spun and lashed out in her hand, glowing its nasty dark color, and moved like it was part of her own body. Kaze moved with her, appearing and disappearing at all angles around her through the shadows. Her blade struck out at him, sometimes missing, sometimes drawing blood. He threw white stars at her; she caught some with her blade and others with her body. Sparks burst around them like fireworks.

"Look…" Elise's eyes were warm. "Corrin is smiling!"

Corrin went back on the offensive, and felt her blade start to land. Kaze forced himself not to slip up and fended off most strikes as best as he could, but he moved too slow, and Ganglari caught him hard on the side. He grit his teeth and leapt back out of her reach, landing without a sound, and clutching his bleeding side.

He glowered at her, trying to catch his breath, "Why?" he choked out the word, "What are you… laughing at?"

Corrin muffled her smirk with a stained hand. "I'm sorry… I'm…" she shook her head, "I'm just… having so much fun."

He squinted. ' _Fun?'_

Her eyes were shining, "Aren't you? Because… right now… it feels like you're really coming at me like a real warrior. And you know… at the very least… I'm happy about that much," her smile suddenly became sad. "Look. I know…" her voice was lower now, "I know what kind of fight this is. What kind of place this is, and it's certainly not one for laughter or smiles but… this feeling. Don't you feel it too? I just… can't remember the last time I had this much fun…"

Kaze did not know what to say, but the way she smiled so sadly made him grit his teeth behind his lips.

"But because it's so fun… it makes it a little sad too, I guess. I don't know why, but as I'm fighting you like this… I can't help but think that maybe in some other place or some other time… things could have been a little different…" her voice seemed miles away. Slowly she closed her eyes and pointed Ganglari at him.

It hurt. Everywhere. Corrin could feel her muscles aching and bruises already starting to form from her squabble with Rinkah. Many of the cuts were shallow, but a few were far too deep for her liking. The smaller ones were already clotting, but still stung. In places blood was beading into her clothes and dripping down her armor.

Kaze noted himself much the same. Ganglari had hit him harder than he would have liked, and he knew with these injuries he wouldn't be able to maintain this speed for much longer. The Nohrian Princess kept her eyes closed, and Kaze knew that she wouldn't move to attack him, not now. And even if she was, he was not bound to wait. He could feel it too, an icy weight of the gaze from the king in the back throne. Kaze knew this king wanted him dead, and if Corrin would not finish it soon herself Kaze dreaded that he might rise from his throne.

Kaze put his hands together in position, and wind swirled and built around him. ' _Then I will finish this now…'_ Corrin's cape and long white hair blew about her, and she breathed in the wind deeply. ' _Corrin…'_ Whether the name was coincidence or not, whether those eyes or that voice was familiar to him or not, even if it hurt, he would bring this to its end.

He would put the last of his strength into this blow, strike true and strike hard. Whether win or lose. Even if the ending was the same…

For a moment, he was almost afraid. He could see it now. In truth, he couldn't see any other path before him. I am going to die. He knew this. The words burned into his head and into his heart. But for some reason… he was not afraid. But the lack of fear didn't startle or worry him, not at all. He wasn't exactly sure why of it himself, but somehow it felt right. Say it again.

I am going to die.

But why aren't I afraid? Why aren't I sad?

He looked across the hall to see Corrin standing there all white and red, with a black sword burning in her hands. And she was smiling. It wasn't a sneer; it didn't have any fire or malice in it at all. It was a gentle smile that lightly warmed her face as the wind rushed around her.

Kaze almost found himself smiling too.

' _Of course…'_ he felt the wind batter him as he closed his eyes. Still, in the darkness, he could see her standing there, the image of her smile burned into his mind. ' _Very well. Then, if this was the way that it was always meant to be…_ '

He shot at her, rushing through the darkness, and appeared beneath her in the shadow of her pluming tattered cape. He was close enough to catch her scent, of something a little sweet nearly drowned under the scent of blood and sweat. He breathed deeply and clenched a single gleaming kunai in his fists. Just as he was about to push it forward with all his strength, he looked up and saw her red eyes on him. His heart stopped. She faced him, looked right into him, and Ganglari dropped.

Kaze felt cold. But it wasn't fear. No, not like this. He knew it right away, knew it right from looking into her eyes.

' _She has seen me._ ' No… it was more than just seen… much more than just that.

He wondered how she'd known what direction he'd come from. There was no way she could have seen him move, no way she could have sensed it, and there was nothing in this world that could outspeed a ninja. There was nothing that could catch the wind…

He felt the numb chill of Ganglari on his skin.

Maybe she had guessed. Perhaps she had just gotten lucky.

He felt the sharp edge of the blade tear through his armor, clothes, and skin.

Did she leave her movements up to chance? A gambit?

He saw red.

Had she left it up to fate?

Ah… there it was. The pain.

Or maybe for a little moment… she had become the wind too.

Kaze collapsed to his knees, breath leaving his lungs in a great painful breath. Splashes of red stained the stone beneath him, seeping through his hands and clothes. He coughed, gasping desperately as the taste of iron filled his mouth. The strongest beat of pain pulsed furiously from where her blade had cut him across the chest, and it spread through him cold, and sunk in deep. His hands grasped the stained checkered floor, desperately feeling for his weapons. But they were gone. He realized the force of the blow must have knocked them out of his hands, and had scattered them somewhere into the darkness.

A numb burning on his neck halted him, and in the corner of his eye he saw Ganglari hovering by his throat. It was a struggle to move, but he had to look up. He didn't exactly understand why, or where this painful desire had come from, but he had to look up. And there she was, standing over him as a red-eyed shadow. His stomach dropped as their eyes met, and all feeling left his body. The smile he remembered on her face was gone and not even a trace of it seemed to remain. Now, as she looked down on him… for some chilling reason he felt that she looked a little like the dark king at the back of the hall.

A strange dragging sound got Kaze's attention, and he noticed from the corner of his eye the guards from earlier had reappeared. They were pulling something along the ground behind them—that's where the sound was coming from. But… what? Kaze turned his head ever so slightly and noticed with a sudden sinking dread that they were taking bodies of Rinkah and the others with them.

Carelessly the guards tossed their bodies on the ground behind him, and Kaze cringed at the sickening thud it made.

"Ugh… damn it…"

Kaze's heart started to life at Rinkah's voice. It was muffled and full of pain, but it was hers! She was alive! Ignoring the pain and the blade still at his neck, he turned his head to see that she and the others were moving behind him. It was slight but…

Relief spread through him. They were definitely alive…

Kaze didn't have long to enjoy the moment as the edge of Ganglari brushed his skin, drawing his eyes immediately back to Corrin. She shifted the blade a little further from his neck, but the dark aura of it still numbed his entire neck and half of his face. He could feel the fear creeping in hard now, and every heartbeat was painful. He felt himself shaking, and breaths were hard to take, but he made himself look directly into the princess's deep red eyes.

' _Ah._ _I see…'_ and on his knees he bowed his head to her. ' _Then… this is the way that it was always meant to be…'_ and he waited for the blade to fall.

And waited.

And waited…

"Well done," King Garon's deep voice broke the silence. "You've fought well. Now that your victory is claimed, you know now what must be done. Finish them." Corrin didn't move. A frown quirked the king's lips. He waited a few moments for the princess to move or say something, and when she didn't, he continued, "True victory is not won until the enemy lies dead at your feet. Was this not something Xander had taught you? A true noble of Nohr strikes all enemies down with decisive certainty. There is nothing to stop you here, child. Kill them and let Ganglari sup on their blood. Do it. Now."

"No."

Kaze jolted, his heart hammering to life as he glanced up to try and look into Corrin's eyes. But looking up proved to be a mistake, as the movements of the king in the shadows immediately caught his eye instead.

Garon's dark, sunken eyes widened beneath his low brow. The hard frown on his dry lips grew even harder, and the king moved. Lowering the hand that had been casually propping up his chin, the king gripped the arms of his throne and loomed forward menacingly with the creaking of his black armor.

The royals lined up in front of him jolted and looked back worriedly.

His voice came out a deep, low hiss, " _What did you say_?" Kaze felt himself shudder at the very sound of it, terror crawling through him like fingers made of ice. "I've given you an order. Kill them!"

Kaze felt the sword leave his neck. He looked up at Corrin, confused and at a loss, and found her smiling down at him.

Something inside him knotted. His throat was too dry to swallow, and his heart—for some reason that he could not make sense of—seemed to ache even more than any of his wounds.

Slowly, Corrin turned around. She spread her arms, pointed the blade of Ganglari down in her hand, and faced the king. "I said no."

The look in King Garon's eyes was murderous. Every good sense Kaze had told him to run, but pain and fear rooted him in place. Sweat slicked his hair against his face, yet his body shivered like he was lost in a blizzard. Dread pressed down onto him, so smothering and choking that it hurt to breathe.

A low growl rumbled from the depths of Garon's throat and the king's lip curled in a snarl.

' _That is no man,_ ' Kaze thought, fear keeping his eyes fixed on the king. ' _That is a monster._ '

But Corrin did not look away from the face of the monster, she did not shiver, she did not blink, and she did not back down. And Garon seemed to see that she never would from words alone.

So the king stood. As if slowly awakening from slumber, he picked himself from the throne and rose to his full height. Blood-red eyes locked on them as he lumbered forward, his black armor clattering with every heavy step as his long cape trailed out behind him. As he reached the edge of the plateau his children fearfully stepped aside.

The king stopped at the top step and looked down. Corrin still did not move. Garon's words were like the coldest wind, "I've given you an order, and my orders are obeyed."

"I won't do it!" she sounded so fearless; Kaze wondered how much of it was an act. At least to him, the passion didn't seemed fake at all. "Father…!" desperation filled her voice. "This is wrong! I can't do something like this! I won't!"

Garon didn't move for a moment, didn't speak, didn't even blink. He broke the silence with a great sigh, and lifted his armor-clad hand. "You have made a grave mistake, _child._ " Sparks flared to life on the clawed tips of his fingers. Ringlets of runes bloomed out from the light in a powerful flare. Kaze could feel the heat and the wind tearing at him and burning his wounds. The light and the fire splashed deep shadows in the lines and creases in Garon's aged face, "Die."

The world exploded in heat and fire. Kaze felt it burn and lash at his clothes and his skin, as the wind picked up so fiercely he was surprised he was not thrown away with it. The sound was deafening, the tremor violent and shaking through his bones; he tasted blood. And then, in one great breath, it was over.

It took Kaze a belated moment to realize that he was still alive. Smoke and dust wafted all about him, but the fire was gone. He saw blood on his body and hands, but realized that they had not been caused by the magic. He jolted at a wet spattering sound, and forced his vision to clear.

Red drops splattered at her feet. Corrin stood in front of him with Ganglari clenched tight in both of her hands and held across her body like a shield, but through the smoke he could see that it was shaking. Kaze gaped up at her half in awe and half in worry, not even daring to blink or breathe. He could see her clearly through the gloom, but somehow still some part of him couldn't believe it was real. And his heart twisted painfully at the sight.

Corrin growled, strained and uneven, and Kaze feared she was about to fall. But despite the pain she must have felt, she moved. Captivated, Kaze watched as Corrin, trembling and bleeding, looked King Garon straight in the eye and slowly spread her arms out wide. A stream of red ran down her face, forcing her to close one eye in a grimace.

The king looked down at her, unenthused. "Still you resist. I see you have not yet learned your lesson." Garon's armored hand began to glow again even brighter than before, and Corrin immediately tensed, baring her teeth.

"Father!" Xander shouted, daring to step forward. "Please, that is enough! There's no need for this! Corrin just does not understand the full situation!"

The king's eyes were dark under his brow. "And now you chose to disobey me, Xander?"

Xander flinched, "Of course not. It's just…"

"Fine then," the king lowered his hand, magic dying on his fingertips. "If you hold that girl and the Hoshidans in such high regard, then you can be the one to end them."

Xander's mouth was a deep line.

Garon glowered darkly. "Do you hesitate? I've given you an order! Or do you wish to be burned with the rest of them!?"

"Grgh…" Xander turned down the stairs, his cape flaring. He strode to the bottom and left Siegfried's sheathe at his feet.

Kaze's dread grew with every echoing step the crown prince took. Xander's black and golden armor flicked lurid in the torch light, and his eyes glinted even sharper than his own great blade.

"Corrin," Xander's voice rang loud and clear. "Our Lord Father has given you an order. I will give you one more chance…" his sword burned in a malevolent purple glow.

"I won't do it!" she wheezed. "Xander… they're already beaten! It's over!"

"They are our enemy, Corrin," Xander glowered. "It won't be over until they're dead."

"No! I won't do it!"

Xander charged at her. Kaze choked a gasp and flinched. Corrin saw it coming just in time to bring up her blade. The swords smashed together loudly.

"What do you think you are doing?" he hissed, pressing her back. "Why are you resisting?"

She growled, holding his blade back with all of her strength. "If… if they died…" she ground out every word, looking her brother straight in the eye. "If they died… then nothing would change…!"

There was a flicker, a momentary falter in the crown prince's eyes. His lip curled, "Naïve…" and he broke the stalemate with a mighty sweep, tearing Ganglari out of her hands with a tremendous clatter. Corrin cried out as pain shot through her hands and arms. The dark blade whirled through the air and landed hard into the stone a few yards away.

Corrin blinked wildly for a confused moment, registered Xander before her, and opened out her arms again.

Xander looked hard into her burning red eyes, and his face twisted into a bitter frown. "It's over."

Kaze clenched his throbbing wounds, looking up desperately at the woman who was risking her life for his. ' _Why…_ '

"Oh no," Camilla ran her hands down her face, her one visible eye overflowing with worry. "Oh, my sweet Corrin. Please don't fight. Not like this, not like this. Oh, why won't she listen? Oh no," she shook her head, tossing her long hair about.

Elise looked frantically between her family: Camilla was losing it, Xander was about to kill Corrin, and father was just watching! She settled on her brother, "Leo! This is bad! Really bad! What do we do!? We've got to stop this, quick!"

Leo growled and his brow knotted as he looked down Corrin and his brother. Things were definitely not looking good.

"Leo!" Elise urged.

The young prince hissed a sigh, "All right. I'll take care of it." Drawing Brynhildr from behind his back he shook his head, mumbling, "Why do these things always seem to fall down to me?" He took a swift breath through his nose, put on his most confident and cool expression and said, "Father. Allow me to settle this matter."

Garon's dark eyes followed Leo as he descended the steps. Corrin watched him coming worriedly.

"You'll have to forgive me for this," the young prince said, opening the tome in his hand. The book began to glow with deep energy, the pages and the scrawls flickering to life. He held out his hand which shared the power. "Know that I take no pleasure in it."

A great ring of runes and light bloomed beneath Kaze's feet.

Corrin whipped around in shock. "No!" she looked about ready to run into that light, but Xander caught her arm and pulled her out of the way before she could.

It happened all at once, so quickly that Kaze hardly had a moment to register what was going on. Tree branches suddenly reached up out of the light and ensnared him, curling and twisting all around him. The soft brush of leaves and the rough scrape of bark engulfed him and pressed down hard. And the weight grew and grew and grew. Wooden creaking, snapping, and groaning filled his ears. Distantly through it he thought he could hear Rinkah screaming, but the gentle rustling of leaves swallowed her into silence. The forest pressed harder and harder until Kaze's arms and legs turned numb. It began to grow dark, and he nearly slipped away into it.

Then for a fleeting moment, inside of that crushing cage of wood and leaves, he thought he smelt something that should not have been there. Something sweet, fresh, and warm. Breathing, he chased it with his senses, and grasped it. Somewhere through the muddled, blinding light he remembered the smell of blossoms, of sun warmed grass, of earth… and he thought… that he heard something that sounded a little bit like laughter. Then the rank stench of ground and dead leaves overtook it and strangled him. It forced itself deep into his throat, into his lungs, and into the pit of his body. The world blurred and flashed around him in a thousand colors. It spun endlessly, broke, remerged, and came into focus. Distantly through layers and layers of watery light he could see leaves slowly swaying and flittering as if in a cheerful spring breeze.

Somewhere through the deep creaking and groaning of branches he thought he could hear someone screaming. "Leo! No! Stop!" it went further and further away, "No!" and disappeared into a whisper.

" _Kaze!_ "

And it all faded to black.


	5. remains

A thousand branches reached up from the ground where Kaze, Rinkah and the others had been. The wood and leaves of Brynhildr glowed in an otherworldly golden light, flickering and swaying even without wind. Through the mesh Corrin could see their bodies, black shadows crumpled in the tangle of wood. She couldn't breathe.

"Well, father," with Brynhildr still open and glowing on his hand, Leo looked back up at the king. "I have dispatched our enemies on the behalf of my sister. I'm afraid that you will have to forgive her. I believe all of this was a bit too much for her to take on all at once. She's confused… but she will come back to herself shortly I'm sure." Despite his confident smile, Corrin noticed Brynhildr was trembling slightly in Leo's hands. But in her shock she had no idea what to make of it.

Garon glowered down at him and said nothing for a few long moments. Corrin noticed a drop of sweat slide down Leo's face, and she felt her heart twist. "Very well," but the king did not sound very pleased. "I will consider the appropriate punishment for her disobeyance later." And leaving Corrin with one last cold glare, he left the chamber.

Leo's eyes followed the king unblinkingly as he lumbered off and disappeared through a door further off down the hall. Once Garon was surely out of sight and out of earshot, Leo heaved a sigh.

"Leo…!" Corrin's voice came out raw. She felt herself drop slightly as Xander let go of her arm; it throbbed only slightly where he had grabbed her. "How could you? They were… they were already beaten! It was over! You didn't have to… you didn't have to…" from the corner of her eyes she thought she could still see them: the black blots inside Brynhildr's glowing light.

Leo frowned, "Oh don't give me that look. Do you really think me so heartless?" with a whap Brynhildr snapped closed. The glow vanished, and in a burst of white light the forest disappeared. The bodies of Rinkah, Kaze, and the other Hoshidans dropped to the floor.

Corrin blinked widely. "What…?"

Leo smiled a little weakly and jerked his chin at the bodies. "Go see for yourself."

Pausing for only a moment, Corrin cautiously stumbled over to Rinkah and the others. Her stomach twisted when she reached them and saw how they were all beaten, crumpled and bloody. She felt sick. ' _I… did this…'_ it was hard for her to resist tearing her eyes away or hiding her face in her hands, ' _No…'_ she felt them shaking, and balled them into fists. ' _I did this… and that is exactly why I can't look away…_ ' She felt her eyes sting as her vision blurred and muddled.

"Don't get all teary eyed now, sister," she heard Leo step up behind her. "Take a closer look."

Blinking the tears out of her eyes, she did as Leo said and squinted at the bodies. It was hard to look at them for very long when they were so ragged and streaked in reds, but despite that, and although the movement was small, Corrin still caught it. Very slowly, their chests were rising and falling. Her jaw dropped. They were breathing.

' _They're alive…!?'_ She turned back to Leo.

"I've done just enough to knock them unconscious. Aside from a few nasty bruises, they should be fine," Leo said, flicking through the pages of his tome with an air of nonchalance.

"Oh… Leo," Corrin clamped her hands over her mouth, eyes shining with fresh tears.

"And now you even cry for them," Xander shook his head in disbelief, frowning deeply. "You do not know them, little princess, and they have done nothing for you but to try and take your life. I do not understand why you've tried so hard to save them. In this world… in Nohr… that kindness will end up becoming the death of you."

Corrin slowly dropped to her knees beside the unconscious bodies. Xander's words slowly sank in. "I…" They were alive. Somehow… she couldn't seem to get the smile off her face. "That's fine. In this world… if kindness would be the death of me… then I believe I could face that death with no regrets…"

"…Well said." Xander's voice suddenly sounded… so warm.

It was nice hearing it, Corrin thought as her head began to feel a little light. Kaze and Rinkah's bodies started to fade into a strange murky and fluttering darkness. Instead of unpleasant, the feeling kind of felt nice. It made her want to lay down her head on a soft pillow, close her eyes, and float off into the darkness with it.

' _Actually, maybe I don't even need a pillow,_ ' she thought as her eyes drooped.

"Corrin?" whoever called out to her sounded so distant, as if they were beyond oceans.

' _I think I'll just… go to sleep for a little while…'_ and felt herself collapse.

"Corrin!?"

"Sister!"

"Lady Corrin!"

She recognized some of the voices, but with each shout they grew more distant, melded into one, and faded into the darkness with her.

* * *

Kaze started awake. He flung straight up from the bed, automatically reaching for weapons he realized were not there.

"Calm yourself, Hoshidan," there was a guard standing at the door. His voice was firm, and perhaps a little too cold, but not as harsh as Kaze was expecting. "There's no need for you to panic. It seems you've been saved."

It took a few moments for him to comprehend what that meant. ' _Saved…'_ that was a good thing, right? Surely it should have brought him some sort of reassurance and calm, but in a place like this the panic and confusion clung hard to his heart and clouded his mind.

Saved…

Kaze righted himself and inched further back on the bed, putting more cautious distance between himself and the soldier. A wall stopped him. The cold chill of the stone didn't startle him, but instead put him on ease and calmed his flushed skin even through his clothes. There was security feeling it there and knowing nothing could attack him from behind—Kaze hated surprise attacks the most.

Trying to settle his pounding heart, Kaze did his best to clear his mind and assess his surroundings for the moment. He was pleased to find he was no longer in a cell and that his wrists were not shackled. Instead he was in a small room with not much in it aside from the bed, a shelf, and one dying candle atop a wooden desk. He did not know this place and did not know what to expect here.

Saved…? The word hung heavy in his mind.

But how? And from who? Or from what?

As the last vestiges of sleep left him, pain returned in its place. A strong pulsing ache grew and spread throughout his entire body. ' _I must have been fighting… or perhaps…_ ' he looked down to find dried stains of blood on his torn and weathered clothes. Stains… but no wounds—at least not fresh ones. The strongest of the pain seemed to be pulsing from his shoulder, and Kaze could not resist peeling back his garb to find out what was wrong. There he found a fresh scar at his shoulder, cutting jaggedly down across his chest, and ending somewhere on his abdomen near the opposite hip. It was a little red, but closed.

' _This is…_ ' His fingers brushed it gingerly, and in a sudden rushthe memories came back to him: of blades, of fire, of a girl with white hair, and a thousand gently swaying branches. Kaze breathed, tasting the heavy reek of forest soil and blood, but he was not sure if it was part of the memory or not. His heart pounded painfully as he hid the scar back under his garb.

' _Why am I alive…!?'_ What had happened? Where was…!?

"Now that you're awake," the guard began, jolting him from his panic, "you need to come with me. I'd suggest complying." The guard's words were not as cold as he expected, but they were filled with an unsettlingly firmness that Kaze didn't like.

Kaze stared hard at the soldier, waiting for the tip of his sword to be pointed at him. But the blade remained holstered.

"Come now."

Kaze decided it probably would be best not to resist, and stood.

The soldier opened the door for him and led him out. Just as he left the room into a stone hall, the door just beside them opened and Rinkah appeared.

"Kaze!?" she gasped, "You're alive!?"

Relief washed over him at the sight of her, and he came as close to her as he could. He'd only feared the worst for his companions after he'd awoken here; the last thing he'd expected to see that she was okay and alive. "Are you all right?" he kept his voice low, but figured the guards were close enough to hear anyway.

Rinkah gave the soldiers a chilling look, daring them to eavesdrop. "Yeah. I'm fine," she wasn't very good at keeping her voice quiet even when she was trying. "Few bruises, but not like those won't heal. More importantly, what's going on? Do you know where in the blue hells they're taking us now?"

"I'm afraid not…" the guards were watching them; Kaze couldn't pretend to be covert. "But I suppose we've no choice but to go along with it."

"Suppose so," Rinkah's lip curled over her teeth. She held out her hands, as if marveling that they weren't bound, "Not like I can do too much without my club anyway."

"Make haste," the guard barked, gesturing with his hand instead of a sword. Kaze and Rinkah complied and were led through the hall.

It was a short walk: a stretch, a twist, a turn, and up one flight of stairs which finished at a door that, instead of light, opened up to a brighter kind of darkness. They walked out into a grand courtyard bordered by high stone walls. Clumps of dark green trees and bush were placed artfully about, motionless without wind. Kaze thought he heard water chuckling somewhere but couldn't see a stream or pool from where he was. And unsurprisingly, the sky above them was black with cloud. Kaze sighed as he looked up at the rolling darkness, feeling the wind blow by him and rustle his hair. What time was it now? Day or night? And just how long had he been unconscious for? Hours? Or maybe even days…

The sky only answered in silence, as he thought it would.

"Over there," Kaze looked in the direction the guard nodded to and found two people waiting for them at the end of a stone path. Kaze squinted a moment. In the already low light and under the shade of a tree it was a little hard to see them. But when Kaze noticed white hair on one and a familiar set of black and gold armor on the other, his heart fell to his feet.

"Go on now, at once!" Kaze realized he'd been frozen, and at the guard's words—which had a bit more of a bite in them—started cautiously forward.

The high prince was waiting for them with the young princess. She was smiling at them, but her older brother's face was fixed in a guarded scowl. Rinkah had her hands on her hips and glared chillingly as she stomped over. She would show them that she was not afraid of whatever they planned to do here. An execution? Another battle? Kaze saw no weapons in either of their hands, but for some reason this made him more nervous.

The prince, Xander, glowered down at them when they came to a stop. "You're free to go."

Kaze started.

"What was that?" Rinkah growled.

"You are being released, Hoshidans. My sister's kind heart has earned you your freedom. You'd best leave now if you wish to keep it," the prince's words were chilling under the gloom of the sky.

In stark contrast to him, Corrin continued smiling brightly. "He's right. You better hurry on." Kaze noticed how tired she looked; her face was a little pale, but all the blood had been washed from her skin and her clothes now. "If father sees you things could get bad. So please, go."

Kaze and Rinkah shared an incredulous look. Was this… really happening? The two of them half expected the Nohrians to whip out swords from behind their backs, sing ' _Just kidding!_ ' and cut them to ribbons. But they didn't, and waited patiently for them to disappear as they'd commanded.

Kaze didn't need to be told twice; he turned to go but a voice stopped him before he could take that first step.

"Kaze…" it was a little hesitant, and softer than he remembered. Corrin was avoiding his eyes, but was still smiling just a little. "I, um… I really did have a lot of fun battling with you, despite everything and despite how everything has turned out. It's a shame that the circumstances are as they are. Maybe in the future… or in some other kind of place… you and I might meet again. And maybe there we could… have another dance, if you want." She looked at him now with those big, bright red eyes.

Kaze felt something knot inside of his chest. Without a word he lowered himself to his knees before her and vanished in a breath of wind.

Corrin stared at where he'd once been. "Gone… just like that…"

"You…" Rinkah stared daggers at the princess. "The gall of you. Treating me like I'm some hostage to be freed. I'll remember this, Nohrian. You better be ready the next time _we_ meet, because I promise it won't be pretty."

Corrin's smile was a little weaker, but still there. "Please, you don't need to be upset. I was hoping… that if we ever did cross paths again… in this big, big world… that it wouldn't be as enemies…"

Rinkah had no idea what to make of this. "Are you a blithering fool? I'm a warrior of Hoshido and you're a princess of Nohr! What you suggest could never be possible."

The princess looked down. "I understand our nations are at war… but it doesn't always have to be that way, I think. And the ones who could be able to change that… are people like you and me. I just… It would just make me happy to know, wherever you are, that your fire was still burning…"

Rinkah glowered hard at the princess for a few long moments and then, surprisingly, cracked a smile. "You know, I heard rumor of a sheltered princess deep in the dark heart of Nohr, who knows nothing of the world and the people in it. Perhaps those rumors had some kernels of truth to them after all, huh." Rinkah turned to go with her hands folded behind her head. As she headed off, to an open gate further off down the way, she called back, "If fate does happens to throw us together again, I should hope that this big, big world will have taught you the error of your ways, little princess."

Corrin and Xander watched as the Flame Tribe warrior disappeared into the silence of the night.


	6. dusk falls

No matter how much distance she seemed to put from it, capital Windmire could still be seen on the horizon. The large wall that encircled the city was nothing more than a deep black line now, with flittering lights pulsing like fires or stars all the way across it. Rinkah thought it equal parts funny and equal parts disgusting that lights could still seem to shine in nasty places like that. Nohr wasn't supposed to be that way; there weren't supposed to be lights there. At least, that's what she'd always thought.

Cautiously, or perhaps impulsively, Rinkah found herself glancing over her shoulder at it again and again. And every time it was still there as if it were watching her or as if it were waiting for her to come back. Even when she wasn't looking somehow she could still feel it—a strange tense prickling on the back of her neck. She knew that feeling well, and knew why she hated it. It was the feeling of being watched as if by a predator or a monster that you could never beat. Maybe that feeling was getting a little lighter with each step, or maybe it wasn't. She ground her teeth. The one and only small comfort she had was that every time she glanced back at it, the smaller and more distant Windmire seemed to become.

' _Good,_ ' she huffed to herself, ' _let's keep it that way._ '

She had entered the forests now. Rinkah was not used to forests. Growing up in the treacherous mountains of Flame Tribe land, most trees that dared grow in the place were black, skeletal, dying things. Ironically to her, the trees of Nohr were very much like the ones she knew from home. With their tall jagged branches they clawed and swayed slowly in the wind up to and even darker sky. They howled and clattered when the wind blew by, and dead leaves whirled around her feet.

She kicked a rock and it clattered down the path. ' _Great. Just great.'_ A low ire still smoldered in her chest that flared up every time she thought of the Princess's face. She just couldn't seem to get that girl's words out of her head. ' _If we were to ever meet again… in this big, big world.'_

Rinkah growled and trudged on. She didn't need to be reminded that it would take a lot of walking to get back to Hoshido. A few days journey at the least, made all the more perilous without a map or a weapon. ' _If they hadn't taken my club, damn it…'_ she felt bare and disgustingly vulnerable without hard steel in her fist. Something needed to be done about that.

The path she walked through was hardly legible, a mere ghost of a trail eaten up by leaves and dirt. If it had ever been a road Rinkah figured nothing must have gone down it in ages. Well, that was all for the better for her anyway. The less sign of any Nohrians around the happier she'd be. She didn't need to be told she stuck out like a sore thumb in this dark night kingdom where even the common beggar would recognize her as an oddity. Hoshidan, Flame Tribe, the specifics didn't matter; she hadn't been born in this darkness like them and they wouldknow. That's right. The further away from the main towns and roads was all for the better as far as she was concerned. And about getting lost? Rinkah wasn't worried. As long as Windmire was at her back and growing smaller on the horizon she was happy.

She craned her neck up, looking at the twinkling stars spattering the sky above the wisps of cloud. ' _As long as I keep going east I should be fine…_ '

Rinkah hadn't expected to run into anything along the trail, but what she had turned out to be a rather pleasant surprise. It wasn't human or monster, but instead a great black tree lying broken over the trail. What had knocked this over, she wondered? Perhaps a storm, or maybe a Faceless abandoned its mage and gone berserk. Curiously, Rinkah hopped onto the trunk and walked up the length to the branches.

She stopped and tapped her foot on the wood. ' _Hmm.'_ Many of the branches hung broken and shattered. Her eyes wandered over them analytically, sizing them up. ' _That one's no good… that one is too small… Oh…_ ' And then she spotted a lower bulbous limb close to the trunk and almost broken right off at the base. It would only take a few good yanks to tear free. ' _Now there's an idea,'_ she grinned.

Rinkah hopped off on the other side of the tree, grabbed the branch with both hands and tore it loose with a loud crack. She twirled her new club through the air and smiled up at it appraisingly. "Hm. Feels nice," she started picking off some of the stray branches and twigs to make the limb a bit smoother and easier to grasp.

A breath of wind whirled behind her, stirring up leaves. She turned to find Kaze at a kneel.

She looked back at her branch, "Ah, Kaze. You're still here, huh? Thought you would have long buggered off to Shirasagi by now." She gave the branch a swing, liking the sound it made when it whooshed through the air. ' _Love to hear what it'd sound like cracking on Nohrian heads.'_

"I could not have allowed myself to leave until I made sure that you were all right," was his reply.

"Heh, well ain't that just gentlemanly of you." Her voice dropped flat and serious, "You've nothing to concern yourself over, Ninja. I'm fine as I've ever been, 'side from a bruised ego," she grumbled, tapping the wood on the ground.

"It pleases me to hear that," he lowered his head a little, "though this does not surprise me, as I had no doubts within my mind that you would be fully able to take care of things on your own."

"Then why are you here?" she asked without as much bite as Kaze was expecting.

"I wanted to make sure that you were okay, as a friend. And I would like to ask you something," he rose swiftly, almost breathlessly to his feet. "I would like to accompany you on the return trip to Hoshido if you find that agreeable. Once we return to our lands we may part ways, but until then… it would put my mind at great ease to know that you have my back."

Rinkah smirked at this. In truth, she hadn't been too thrilled with the idea of returning to Hoshido on her own either, though she'd never admit it. For once she was almost glad for the company. "That doesn't sound too bad to me, I guess. I've had about all I can stand of this bloody place. The faster we haul ass out of here, the better. Huh? … Hey…" she squinted at him. "What's wrong? Are you all right? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Kaze closed his eyes, a troubled line creasing his brow. "Perhaps I have."

Rinkah made a face, "What's that supposed to—"

"Princess Corrin is… I believe that she is alive."

"Corrin?" Rinkah echoed the name. "Wait… a minute…" she frowned, trying to think.

"Does that name hold any familiarity to you? I know the Flame Tribe prefers its isolation, and to not involve themselves in the affairs of other nations, but surely even your people too must have heard the story of what happened," Kaze took a bracing breath, "Corrin was the name of the Hoshidan princess stolen from us by Nohr in what seems like an age ago. The Nohrian princess that we fought against…" Kaze pressed his lips tight together.

"The hell!? You think that was her?" Rinkah spun back to the dark line of Windmire in the distance. "No way!"

"I'm almost certain. Never the less, I must return to castle Shirasagi as quickly as I can. I must tell Queen Mikoto at once…!" no matter how he tried, whatever mantras he used, his heart wouldn't stop pounding.

"Alright! Let's go then! The quicker the better. If we stay around here any longer, who knows what kind of ghouls will come out of these shadows. Show me how fast a ninja can run, Kaze!" Rinkah hoisted the branch over her shoulder and dashed off down the path.

Her mood brightened his spirits a little, "Indeed! Lead the way!" and he vanished in another gust of wind.

While Rinkah stuck to the ground, running through trees and bush alike, Kaze moved through the air. A quick blur in the overhead darkness, he leapt from branch to branch soundlessly, hardly stirring leaves where there were. At times when the trees grew thin he landed and slunk through the shadows that filled the woodland. His steps hardly kicked up dust, and a cold wind followed.

Despite Rinkah running with him and despite being homebound, he still felt a weight pressing down on his heart, and it seemed to grow stronger with every step. Kaze landed on the branch of a large old tree that rose high above the others in the wood. There he stopped a moment and placed a hand against the old bark. Ignoring the internal warning voice that told him not too, he looked back over his shoulder. They were much further from it now, but he could still just see Windmire on the horizon. The vantage was lovely in a chilling sort of way.

The capital was thin as the edge of a blade, almost hidden behind the rising mountains and gathering clouds. The lights flitting upon it were faint ghosts nearly smothered by the building fog. He frowned deeply as the wind blew by and rustled his scarf. His heart felt like it was pulling, being tugged back to that strange darkness where she still was.

Turning, Kaze left the tree and leapt into the darkness. ' _If that was really you… then somehow… somehow… I…'_ As he moved through the shadows, he thought back to the hall and the ferocious battle they had fought there for their lives. Somehow, amongst the memories of flashing of blades, the pounding of their hearts, and of blood spattering into the black… the image of her smile stood out the brightest of it all.

' _I must find a way to bring you back.'_


	7. away with the wind

Corrin could see it when she looked over her shoulder. She'd spotted it many times that morning through the hazy morning sunlight, towering distantly over the swaying pink trees. It almost seemed to be following her, watching her even, and no matter where she went through the gardens she could always see it standing on the blue horizon. Castle Shirasagi, she'd been told it was called, was a massive tiered pillar that thrust up into the sky like a white blade. Many other towers and blocks surrounded the main part of the castle, but none of them reached up as high as it did. And no matter how hard she looked, Corrin could never seem to see the top. Even when she was on a hill or a ridge, or stood on her tip toes and squinted as hard as she could, the highest parts of it were always hidden by the roaming clouds. The sky truly had hold of it now.

' _Maybe there is no top…'_ she thought, rocking on her heels. ' _Maybe it just goes up into the sky forever… '_ and for a moment she almost believed it. Corrin was captivated by just how different the Hoshidan castle was from Castle Krakenburg; she'd never seen a building as bright, beautiful and unique as Shirasagi before. And Corrin couldn't help but humor the thought that just maybe it rose up as high into the sky as Krakenburg plunged deep into the earth.

Corrin looked over her shoulder again, ' _…maybe.'_

Dark brown birds—nothing more than dots in the distance—circled around the white castle on hardly flapping wings, and Corrin thought she could almost catch their echoing, ghostly cry. It made her neck hurt to watch them, so she put her eyes back on her feet and walked on.

Her bare feet hardly made a sound as she stepped along the cobblestone paths of the garden, following as they twisted and turned around countless trees, flowerbeds, and ponds. Petals floated by on the warm wind, carrying sweet and lovely smells with them. Corrin breathed deeply and absorbed every new scent that filled this strange new world.

Corrin had rightfully been a little overwhelmed when she'd found herself at the entrance to the gardens a few hours earlier. After spending about twenty minutes loitering around the gates, she finally hardened her resolve and mustered up the courage to dive head first into this bright colorful jungle. Well, that's what she'd meant to do at least. But once she'd gone passed the gates Corrin caught sight of a bushel of cheerful red flowers and was overcome by the incredibly strong urge to go and smell them. And so she did, until she saw a bunch of smaller blue ones nearby, and then a group of tall purple ones further down the path by a pond, and then a group of yellow ones with long drooping petals further off from those. And before she even knew it, she ended up stopping and staring at every tree and flower that she found. And as she went on Corrin marveled at how different all the flora and fauna here were than the ones that she knew from Nohr—for one, these trees actually had leaves! Every color and every smell drew her attention, and she quickly lost track of where she was wandering and where she had wandered. But somehow she didn't seem to mind.

"Oh… wow…" it had probably been about the thirtieth time she'd seen a sakura tree that day, but no matter how many times she saw them, the bright cheerful trees still took her breath away like she was seeing it again for the first time. She stood under its shade, watching in fascination as the light pink blossoms swayed and fluttered into the breeze. ' _It's so bright… and it doesn't stop moving for anything. I wonder what makes the petals so pink…_ ' For a long time she stood beneath it, so absorbed in her watching and wondering that she didn't even notice the petals the wind picked loose and dropped in her hair.

And then she wandered on again, following the paths wherever they took her. Her trek was aimless, one of exploration and discovery, not purpose. She seemed to be trying to familiarize herself with the garden's layout, but without much success. She ended up walking down the same paths more than once, and went down a looped trail three or four times before she realized the scenery was starting to look eerily familiar. ' _Why do I have the feeling I've seen this tree before…'_

Corrin stopped at nearly every flower that she saw to poke the bobbing heads and caress the smooth petals. She smelled so many that she had a little sneezing fit, and once almost stuck her nose right onto a bumble bee. She leapt back with a screech, flailing feebly as it circled around her once or twice before buzzing away. After a few more moments of punching and swiping at the air, she realized it was gone.

After that, Corrin came across a small pond under the shade of a tree. She sat down on the stony edge and wasted a bit of time running her fingers along the surface and watching the water shimmer. It wasn't long before she spotted the blurry shadows of a few koi fish hovering near the bottom of the pond. Corrin's eyes went wide as she leant her face directly over the surface to get a better look. ' _What… are those…?_ '

For a while Corrin watched them move languidly below the water, with her face so close to the surface that her nose was almost touching. Suddenly one of the bigger fish popped its face out of the water with a splash, opened its mouth wide, and then dipped back under the surface with a gentle plunk. Corrin blinked speechlessly at where it had disappeared for a long time.

And on and on she went.

The wind was so warm here; there was no bite in it at all. The sun was so bright that she squinted every time she wasn't under shade. Every leaf and blossom caught the light and shimmered as the breeze moved them. Corrin breathed in deeply and sighed.

' _What a fresh… smell…_ ' slowly she came to a stop in the middle of one of the many paths, half in light and half in the shade of a tree. The wind moved by in a murmur, lifting the ends of her hair.

She looked up to the sky and watched the clouds move by. "…Hello?" the wind carried her voice softly. It didn't echo.

She waited, but nobody came.

With a small sigh, she started walking again, not taking her eyes off her feet as she watched each step touch the sun-warmed cobbles. With one foot in front of the other, and arms gently swinging at her sides, she stepped over all the loose petals pressed into the cracks of the stone path. "…Hello? Is there anybody here? Hellooo! Come out, come out wherever you are. Yoohoo~" every word grew a little louder. "Hello!"

A sudden breath of wind whirled behind her, lifting her hair and her cape. "Oh…" she turned and found someone bowing at a kneel behind her, with his head lowered and eyes hidden under his dark green bangs. She turned to face him, but didn't say anything.

The wind blew by through the trees in a murmur, carrying more leaves into the air.

"…How did you know I was here?" he did not lift his head.

"Mmm," Corrin clasped her hands behind her back. "I didn't… really. There was just this… fresh… sort of uplifting feeling in the wind. When I breathed it… when I felt it touch me… I just had this feeling that I wasn't alone. Weird, huh?" she was smiling. "And it looks like I was right, because here you are!"

"Heh…" was that a laugh from him? Kaze rose to his feet, and he stood over her. He wasn't smiling, but his expression seemed somehow warm, "If it's all right for me to ask, Princess Corrin, what are you doing out here on your own? Should you not be with Queen Mikoto and the others?"

"Ah…" she looked away. "Y-yeah…"

"Hm? Is there something wrong? I do not know how much help I will be, but if I can I will do anything in my power to assist you."

Her eyes pulled back to him. "Even now… you're treating me like a Hoshidan princess too, huh?"

"Huh?" he blinked.

"It's… a bit surprising," a small smile found its way onto her face, but it puzzled Kaze—there was no warmth in it at all. With one hand she twirled her curled white hair around a finger. "One minute I'm a princess of Nohr and the next, one of Hoshido. Weird, right? I really had no idea at all… about all of this. All of this time… I've been…" The wind rustled through the trees and the flowers bobbed their heads with it, flashing every color in the light.

"Are you… perhaps…" he began cautiously, paused for a moment, then mustered up the strength to continue, "You are displeased about being here?"

"Huh?" she blinked. "Oh, no! Not that at all! It's not… _bad_ being here. Everyone is… so nice to me. And everything is so bright, wide open and warm. And Queen Mikoto… my _mother_ ," the word sounded strange when she said it, "I don't remember her face or her voice at all… but something about her, I can't say what, but something about her is so calming and soothing…" her eyes went down, and her words came out a whisper, " _but_ _what is it_ …?"

A cloud passed over the sun. Kaze suppressed a light shiver… the wind was getting colder. Corrin stopped twirling her hair and frowned.

Kaze felt it, and saw the distance in her eyes, and knew he had to say something lest this shadow settle. "Lady Corrin," perhaps it would be better to drop the more formal title for now, "I noticed you seem to be enjoying the gardens."

"Oh!" this smile had a little more warmth in it; Kaze was glad. "Oh, yes! I've never seen any place like this before! The Northern Fortress looked nothing like this! There's so much color here, and everything is so fresh! I can hardly believe it!" she turned this way and that, fluttering her hair and cape. She looked at a loss for words. "It's just… amazing!"

Her mood was infectious and he found himself smiling, "Have you seen the Great Sakura yet?"

"Hm? A sakura?" there were still a few pink petals caught in her hair. "Are those the pink trees? They are, right? I've seen a lot of those today… They seem to be everywhere around here…"

"Yes, but this one is called great for a reason. I could show it to you, if you would like. It's not far from here."

Corrin blinked in a moment of apparently reflection, "Okay! I don't really know my way around here very well yet, so I'd be glad to have you as my guide for a while, Kaze! Lead on!"

He chuckled at her cheery attitude. ' _I've been appointed royal tour guide already, have I?_ ' He bowed humbly, "It is my utmost pleasure to assist. Follow me." And the two of them started off.

The walk was short yet pleasantly silent. The sun had come back out as they came around a bend and reached the tree.

"Wow!" Corrin's eyes shone in wonder. Before them at the far edge of the garden, right in its own bed, was the biggest tree Corrin had ever seen. The trunk and branches were such a deep, dark brown that they were almost black, which was a stark contrast to the blossoms that crowned it, which were brighter and pinker than any others Corrin had seen. The wind went by, fluttering the petals, tugging them loose and scattering them onto the stone paths and into the air. Corrin stared at it in amazed awe.

"This is the biggest and oldest sakura tree here in the garden," Kaze told her. "It's been around for quite some time, even before the gardens themselves were constructed. Would you like to go sit down in the shade?" he gestured to a stone bench under the tree.

Corrin nodded, "Sure! The sun is kind of hard on my eyes," she made a hard, squinty face. "I'm still kind of getting used to it. I guess I've just grown used to living in the darkness," a laugh followed those words. Kaze wasn't sure why she sounded so cheerful saying something like that. For him the thoughts of the darkness of Nohr left him feeling a little cold. But he didn't dwell on it and pushed the thoughts aside.

"Oh! Hey!" Corrin laughed, "Looks like someone else had the same great idea we did."

Kaze frowned. ' _Someone else?_ ' He followed her gaze and noticed right away there was a large, white dog laying by the bench under the tree. "Oh. It seems you're right."

The dog lifted its head as they came near, but Kaze couldn't see its eyes under the shaggy mop of its brow.

Corrin crouched beside it, smiling widely. "Hey there, doggie. It must be nice sleeping here in the shade all day, hm? Is the sun a bit too hot for you? You are a bit of a fluffer, aren't you?" it started wagging its big bushy tail, swishing it across the cobblestones and brushing away some fallen petals. She looked up at him, "Do you know whose doggie this is, Kaze?"

"Oh, um," he tried to think, but an answer didn't come to him. "I'm not sure…"

"You think it's all right if I pet him? Oh—whoa!" the dog suddenly bounced up and started covering Corrin's face with big wet kisses. "H-hey, you! That tickles! Aaah!"

Kaze smiled as he watched her try to fend the dog off. She wasn't having much success, but it also looked like she wasn't trying very hard to stop it. "I believe he's answered that question for you."

"As I can see," she sputtered, managing to get back up to her feet out of the dog's kissing range, and sighed a breath of relief. She pat its head gently, "You're a friendly guy, huh? Aren't you? Yes you are, yes you are," she squished its big shaggy face and scratched behind its ears with her fingers. The dog's tail was wagging so hard that its entire hind quarters were swaying with it.

"It seems like you've made another great friend here today, Lady Corrin," Kaze said while brushing a few petals off the bench for her. "If you'd still like to sit down…"

"Oh, sure!"

The two of them took a seat in the shade and the dog sat down near Corrin's feet, panting happily all the while.

Corrin smiled brightly, constantly turning her head up to look at the sprawling branches of the tree. Kaze was glad that her mood seemed to have improved. He would like to keep it that way.

"Does this place feel familiar to you at all, Lady Corrin?" he asked, folding his hands between his knees.

"Hmm. Mmm," her head swiveled in every direction. Her gaze finally settled on him, "Nope!"

He chuckled, "I suppose it wouldn't. Long ago there used to be a great field here instead of these gardens."

"Ooh? Really?" she looked at the dog, "Did you know that?" it just kept panting and looking around blankly with its half hidden eyes.

"Indeed. Construction began shortly after you were taken—" he checked himself abruptly, "erm… I mean, a small section of the fields still remain down that path there. I believe you can see it from here if you look hard enough," Kaze pointed to a trail behind him and Corrin leant forward to get a look.

When she squinted, Corrin could just make out the fields at the end of a tree-bordered path. The wind combed through the distant grass, moving it like waves. White flowers dotted the green, so small and minute that they almost looked like stars. Further off, the field ended where a forest began, and even further than that great mountains rose, a ghostly white blue in the distance. A bumblebee zig-zagged by and went off toward the fields.

"Hmm," Corrin swung her feet lightly, and looked back at the dog, "looks pretty, doesn't it? Maybe you and me should go run around there later, hm?" in response the dog jumped up on the bench and tried to kiss her again. "Aah! Hey, you! Stop! My face just got dry! Listen, down! Down, you big mountain of a dog. There you go. Now, calm yourself with your smooching. Okay?" it sat back down obediently, but its tail still kept wagging. "There you go," and she pat it on the head gently. Corrin looked back down the path to the distant blue mountains with a soft smile on her face. "It does look really nice, though…"

Kaze looked down at her, but saw no recollection in her eyes. "Lady Corrin?"

"Hm?" the dappled shade moved across her body.

"Have you eaten lunch yet? You must be hungry. You hardly touched your breakfast."

She blinked, "…How did you know about that?"

He hoped she hadn't seen him jolt, "Er…"

"Oh! Right, I remember now! You came in to deliver a message to Ryoma near the start of the meal, I think. I didn't think anyone noticed how little I was eating…"

"Ah, y-yes. That's right," he tried to hold his smile, neglecting to mention that he'd lingered nearby for the rest of their breakfast to make sure that everything went all right. "Were you not hungry, perhaps?"

"Well it's… uh…" her eyes wandered as she wriggled her hands under her thighs. She leant close to him, voice low and covert, "Don't tell anyone about this, but I'm not entirely confident in my ability to use chopsticks yet."

Kaze couldn't help but laugh, "I suppose it would take a bit of getting used to."

"I'm not used to this kind of food either. I mean, some of it is familiar sure, but it's served in such a weird and unique way that I don't even know what it is at first! Did you know you could cut sausages into the shape of an octopus!? I didn't! And there are some things I've never even seen or heard of before! Like, what the heck is dashimaki tamago? I mean, it tasted good and everything, and food is food, I guess but…" she looked up and sighed. "You know… it's almost like… it feels like I've entered another world."

"It's completely understandable that you feel this way, Lady Corrin," Kaze smiled warmly, hoping to ease her a little. "I believe I felt very much like you did when I was taken to Nohr."

"Oh," Corrin smiled weakly, "I almost forgot about that. Although… I think you had a little less of a warm welcome than I had here…" she awkwardly brushed some of her hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry that had to happen to you, Kaze. I'm sure the guards weren't very nice to you."

"Please, there's no need to worry yourself over it. It's passed. And while, indeed, most of my time spent in Nohr may not have been under the best circumstances, I'm still grateful that I was able to have the experience of witnessing more of the country firsthand. You see, Nohr is not a place I have been to many times before."

She smirked a little sadly, "Although I doubt the inside of an old and dirty cell is what you had in mind…"

"Perhaps," Kaze conceded with a light smile on his lips, "But, at the very least, I believe it was an interesting and valuable experience none the less. Oh, and when I was leaving I had quite a lovely view of the grand Nohrian Castle I've heard so much about. Krakenburg, I believe it's called? Certainly a feat in architecture and stonework…"

Corrin giggled at his super serious face, "Well, it's nice that you can see some sort of silver lining about the whole thing. I suppose that must count for something. Oh, hey, maybe one day I can take you back to Krakenburg and…" Corrin stopped herself suddenly. ' _…and what?_ ' She had meant to say she would have liked to show him around the castle some day, but before the words could leave her lips, reality came back to her—the reality of who she was, and of where she was. "Uh…" she bit the inside of her cheek and looked down. "I mean… maybe some day you'll get lucky and end up back in Nohr again, but under better circumstances next time. And maybe then you can go and have a proper look around the castle by yourself. On your own terms…"

Kaze's eyes lingered over her a moment, not blind to her sudden change in tone and expression, but he decided not to press. "Hm. Perhaps. Maybe one day. Although I fear I may get lost if I didn't have someone to show me around."

A small smile pulled at her lips, "Well, don't look at me. I know about as much of Krakenburg as you do, which isn't very much. So if you appointed me royal tour guide then we'd both end up getting lost at that rate."

Kaze hummed, "Well, even if that was so, I don't believe I would mind. I think it's possible to still have a fun kind of adventure even if you've lost your map and don't know the way. Besides, being captured has suddenly given me a new desire to want to see more of Nohr and its people and its culture. If I could, that is. For I believe I understand now, much more than I did before, the great differences that exist between both countries…"

"Yeah…" Corrin looked down at her feet, "… I think know how you feel."

Her smile hadn't come back like he'd hoped, and it worried him a little. Well, if she was still hungry he might have just the thing for that. "…However, speaking of food again. If you feel like eating, I have something you could try if you'd like," Kaze popped open the pack buckled at his waist and started rustling around in it for something.

"Oh…" Corrin looked up and automatically raised her hands. "I don't want to steal your lunch or anything, Kaze."

"You need not worry. It's fine," he brought out some sort of wrapped bundle from the pack, and Corrin couldn't deny she was curious. "I'm not terribly hungry myself, and I can always make more. Besides, I always find it's more enjoyable to eat with others than by yourself, don't you think?"

Corrin made a face, "Well… that is true…"

"We could share if you'd like. Here."

Corrin watched intently as he unfolded the package. "Hm? What are those? Some kind of donuts? Oh, wait, is that rice?"

Kaze laughed again; Corrin thought it was a nice sound. "Yes, they're onigiri. Have you seen these before? They're a common snack in Hoshido."

Corrin blinked at the round triangles of rice. "Onigiri…" her brow scrunched as she slowly said the word, "Oni… giri?… Oni?" she frowned and looked up at him with dire seriousness. "Kaze… you… you didn't make this rice out of demons, did you?"

Kaze blinked at her, and she blinked back. And then, with what sounded like an actual to goodness _snort_ , he slapped his hand over his mouth and turned away.

Corrin jolted, "Kaze? Are you…? You're laughing!" her cheeks beat red. Even if he was trying his best to muffle it, she could clearly see his shoulders shuddering. "D-Don't laugh! You! H-Hey! Are you listening!?"

He turned back to her, seeming to be making an effort to settle the smile on his face, "Ahem. I was not laughing at you, Lady Corrin," _and_ in his voice. "You need not worry. No demons were harmed in the making of this rice. Please, try one."

She frowned a little, but hunger and curiosity seemed to have won her over in the end, "Well, if you insist."

Cautiously, she took one of the rice balls, inspected it from a few angles for any demon fangs perhaps, and then started to nibble it.

While she did, he asked, "Do you know much about Hoshidan dialect then?"

She was so absorbed in eating that it took her a moment to realize he'd spoken. "Hm? Oh," she muffled, "a little. I wasn't able to study much of the language but I know a few words here and there. Like… sword is _katana_. Spear is _yari_ —but I think you have special kinds called _naginata_. And _yumi_ is a bow, right?"

He nodded, not holding his smile back anymore, "That's correct. Your pronunciation is quite good as well. Were you taught much of the language when you were in Nohr then?"

"Mm," she shrugged, "Not really. There were a few old books in the library that I picked a few words from here and there. Not much aside from that though. No, like, formal tutelage. I always kinda wanted to learn more though."

"I see," Kaze hummed, "Then how about… the word for magic? Do you know how that is said in Hoshidan?"

"Uhh," she nibbled on the rice ball nervously. "Mmm…" she was silent for a few moments, and then declared confidently, " _Majou_!"

"That means witch," Kaze smiled, "and I'm afraid there aren't many witches around here. At least I certainly haven't seen one in a very long time."

"Eh? Then how do you say magic?"

" _Mahou_."

Corrin stared at him silently, sighed, and opened her arms to the sky.

Kaze couldn't hold back a laugh now. "You were very close. Would you like another onigiri? You seem to be enjoying them." He reached for one of the two left in the bundle to give her.

"Huh? I don't… want to steal all of your food, Kaze!" she said while nibbling up the bits of rice stuck to her fingers. The dog stuck its nose close to her and started sniffing. She pushed it back with a sharp look. "None for you. It's bad enough I'm eating all his lunch, we don't need your help… you fluffer."

"See? You'd better help me finish this quickly before the fluffer starts to get too hungry and eats it for us," Kaze smiled warmly, "besides, it's no trouble at all. Here you are."

Seeing him making a face like that, while offering her free food, made it basically impossible to refuse.

"I can always make more easily," he told her as she slightly hesitantly took it from his hand. "Besides," his next words were almost a mumble, "just consider it a way of saying thank you."

She paused mid chew and tilted her head. "Hm?" and swallowed, "thank you for what?"

Kaze hesitated, wondering if it was appropriate to continue or not. He very well couldn't take his words back now. "For risking your life to save me in Castle Krakenburg. It is because of your efforts that I am still alive. If not for what you had done, King Garon or the High Prince might have…"

"Xander was trying to save you too," she said like it was the most natural thing in the world. Her red eyes were on him, "I guess it was a little hard to tell… with his sword drawn and pointed at you and everything. But I could tell from his eyes, he didn't want you to die. Leo too. And Camilla and Elise. We all felt the same way… back there. I know that they would have been just as sad as me if you, Rinkah and the others had died there. It just would have been… such a shame…" she looked out into the light of the garden. The trees swayed in the breeze, pink petals flitting weightlessly through the air.

Kaze looked at her, but she did not look back at him. He finally said, "Then I suppose I owe Lord Xander and Lord Leo my thanks as well. Perhaps I should make an extra batch of onigiri for them…"

Corrin snorted and muffled a laugh. More flecks of rice were still caught on her cheeks and her lips from the half eaten rice ball. Kaze thought that his chest felt warm. "Good idea! I wonder if they've ever eaten any demon rice before… hmm," Corrin swung her feet cheerfully.

"Earlier… you said that you know the names of Hoshidan weaponry. Have you ever had a chance to use a katana or naginata before?" he began to take small bites of the last rice ball; the dog watched him fixedly.

"Oh, no!" Corrin shook her head, a few petals falling from her hair. Her eyes were bright even in the shade, "I've held a few old rusty ones before that they had collected in the armory back at the Northern Fortress. But those were no good," she shook her head, taking another bite, "no good to train with. They were all rusty and chipped and broken. They just showed me then as an example really. Aside from that I've never really gotten to try them out, got the feel them in my hand, or move with them, to cut with them… but I've always wondered! I haven't fought too many Hoshidans before either, but the way you all move… sure, there are some similarities in the swordplay, but also so many different things that you never see in Nohr! It's amazing!" she smiled at him brightly, and Kaze returned it wholeheartedly.

He looked back down at his lunch, eyes calm. "Perhaps later you would like to have a friendly sparing session together then." He opened his mouth for a bite.

"Really!?" Corrin burst so loudly Kaze jumped and nearly bit his tongue. She was leaning into him, a lot closer than he'd expected, and her wide eyes brimmed with excitement.

"Er…"

"You'll spar with me!? Really?"

"If… you would like," this seemed to satisfy her, and she backed off a bit. He breathed a silent, relieved sigh.

"That's awesome!" Corrin went on. "I was actually thinking of asking you or Rinkah if you'd like to have a friendly sparring match with me, but I wasn't sure if you'd want to."

"I don't mind at all," Kaze told her, calming, "although, this time I believe it would be a little bit better to fight with blunted weapons instead."

Corrin laughed, "Yeah. Good idea. Shuriken sure sting a lot more than I thought they would," at the memory her face scrunched like she'd bitten something really bitter. "So this time if we're just sparring for fun, let's move a little slower and steadier this time too. So I might be able to see a little better how you Hoshidan ninja move."

"To see it? I believe you read me well enough when we fought in Nohr."

"I did?" she muffled, blinking obliviously. "What do you mean? I was barely able to keep up with you most of the time."

" _Most_ of the time. You adapted to my pace and movements surprisingly quickly for someone who has never fought a ninja before. And aside from that, you read right through my final blow. I've been trying to figure out how you saw me coming."

She blinked at him blankly, mid chew. "Yeah. How _did_ I know that…"

He made a face, "You do not know?"

Corrin shrugged, idly swinging her feet. "I knew you were coming, I knew you would hit me. So I emptied every single thought from my head and just… moved. Somehow… I just felt it. That's how the wind kind of is, I guess. You know?" she looked up at him, continuing before he could answer. "If you try to move against the wind it just slows you down, but if you let yourself go too lax then you just get swept away with it. So instead I think you need to try to…" she made a face, as if trying to pick the right word, "you need to try to move with it. So when we battled, I think it was exactly the same way," and she smiled. "You know, like a leaf on the wind, or like those petals floating over there! See how they dance!"

Kaze looked out into the light beyond the shade of the tree, and thought he could see them before they fluttered to the ground. "Yes… I think I understand a bit better now. Hm…" He nodded. ' _Perhaps it was for that same reason that you seemed to know I was nearby even in a place like this,'_ Kaze looked up at the sunlight streaking through the trees and smiled, _'or perhaps not…'_

"Yeah, back when I used to train with Xander in the Northern Fortress, sometimes it got really windy at the top of those towers, you know…" a warm breeze blew by in a gentle breath, "so windy and cold and dark…"

Kaze noticed Corrin's eyes growing a little more distant as her thoughts returned to Nohr, and spoke up quickly, "You should find the weather and climate here in Hoshido much milder and easier to handle then, I would hope. If that's what you'd like, then moving with the wind might be a much easier thing to do here."

"Yeah," Corrin smiled warmly as she looked up at the tree. "Moving with a warm wind sounds… pretty nice." She turned to him and smiled, "I'll definitely get a feel for that when I spar with you again. So don't forget, okay?"

"I would never forget a promise with you, Lady Corrin," he said both humbly and dutifully. "You saved my life, and protected it with your own. Things like sharing my lunch with you is the very least of what I could do to show my gratitude."

"Oh don't worry about it Kaze. It wasn't really that much of a big dea—" Corrin turned to him and stopped. As she blinked at him for a silent moment, a strange sort of smile made its way onto her face. She side glanced the dog, and then looked back at him, "Uh… Kaze…I hate to bring this up out of nowhere but, uh…"

He blinked, "Hm? Is something the matter?"

She looked at the dog again conspiratorially, "What do you think, should we tell him?" it just kept breathing.

He looked between the both of them cluelessly. He didn't sense the presence of anyone behind him, and didn't feel like anything was amiss. So what seemed to be so funny?

"I didn't really want to say anything but… you have some sakura petals in your hair and… it looks kinda cute," she put her hand over her mouth to try to hide the smirk, but she didn't make out so well.

Kaze watched her try and muffle her giggling and smiled easily, ' _I wonder if I should let her know… that there are sakura petals in her hair too…'_ he shook his head. "Well, that explains it. Whereabouts are they exactly," Kaze lifted up his hand to see if he could brush them off.

"Oh, wait, maybe you should leave them in," Corrin said brightly, "it doesn't look half bad really. Right?" she turned to the dog and it boofed. "See? The doggy thinks so too!"

"Is that so?" Kaze lowered his hand. "Alright, then I will leave them in for now if that's what the both of you would like. But, now that you've had the kindness to tell me about the petals in my hair, it makes me wonder if I should tell you what I can see on you right now."

She blinked at him, smile suddenly dropping from her face, "What? What does that mean? What can you see?" she gasped, "Oh! Don't tell me there are petals stuck in my hair too!" she gaped at the dog in mock-hurt. "You knew, didn't you!? All this time! You didn't even tell me! I thought we were friends!" it grunted, sniffled, and started wagging its tail again. Corrin shook her head, waving her hair, but only a few petals fell loose.

"I'm afraid it's not just the flower petals," Kaze went on, unable to surprises a coy smile.

She turned to him, jaw gaping, "There's more? What is it? Where?" and she started patting herself down thoroughly.

"Hmm, well," Kaze crossed his arms and sighed, "I wonder if I should really say." He turned to the dog and smirked, "What do you think, should we tell her?" the dog just kept on wagging its tail.

"Oh, so you're taking his side now, you fluffer!" Corrin shook her head in faux-dramatic hurt, "And all this time, I trusted you!" the dog sat down and rested its head on her knee. She blinked down at it, smiled, pat its head, then turned back on Kaze. "Kaze! You better tell me what it is or… I'm going to eat all your demon rice triangles, I swear! Hey! Stop laughing!"

Kaze cleared his throat loudly, trying his best to mask his laughter, but he couldn't get it out of his voice, "I apologize, Lady Corrin. It's… just that you still have a few grains of rice stuck on your cheeks."

She blinked at him widely, and her face went flush, "S-seriously? Have they been there the entire time? Where are they?" she brushed her hand on her cheek, but was the wrong side.

"Lady Corrin," he managed to calm his laughing more than his smile, and reached over to her. "Please, allow me."

"Oh…"

She felt the touch of his hand on her cheek. It was larger than hers, firmer, warm, yet somehow it still felt so gentle—a lot like the wind and light in this garden actually, she thought. When he touched her, gently cupping the side of her face and brushing her cheek with his thumb, she didn't jolt or even flinch. Her muscles didn't tense like she thought they would at any other stranger's touch.

' _Stranger…_ ' No… the man sitting beside her in the shade of this sweet smelling tree… he wasn't a stranger at all, was he. Not anymore.

She didn't blink, and didn't take her eyes off of his smile. He noticed her staring and abruptly froze. For a few long seconds he didn't take his hand away. She kept her eyes on him, hardly blinking and hardly breathing, and… while she could… enjoyed the feeling of his skin against hers.

Breaking the moment that they were both caught in, Corrin slowly reached up, and instead of hitting it away like he'd foolishly feared she'd do at first, she instead took his hand gently in the both of hers. Kaze jolted, impulsively moving to pull his hand back away from her, like it had been put in an open flame, but her touch utterly stopped him. Speechlessly he watched her gently grasp his hand, and swallowed hard when he realized he'd stopped breathing.

In the dappled dancing shade she looked into his eyes and smiled. "You know… I just realized that you have really nice hands, Kaze." She felt her face heating up, and could only imagine how red it must have looked. There was no way he could have missed the rosy blush on her cheeks, especially considering how close together they were. Her eyes flicked up to his face for just a moment; she hoped, at least, that her cheeks weren't any more red than his were right now. But the beating of her heart became a little bit too hard for her to muster up the strength of trying at a second glance to check.

There was a nervous, embarrassed part of her that wanted to let him go. Wanted to fling her hands away, shoot out some kind of clumsy rushed apology, and bolt off with the dog in tow to the furthest ends of the garden to hide in the biggest bushel of flowers she could find. But funnily enough, and even surprising her, that part of her—the desire let go—felt so… small. And with that she realized… she didn't want to let him go.

Even though not long ago they had been fighting all tooth and nail and blood in the darkest part of Nohr, somehow, as either fate or chance would have it, they'd ended up here, together, sharing a lunch under the soothing shade of a pink cheerful tree. Corrin felt a smile tugging on her lips at the irony of that. Enemies one day and something almost like friends the next. At the very least, this man sitting beside her, this man whose hand she knew she didn't want to let go, at the very least he wasn't a stranger anymore. No. Not at all.

Unblinkingly Kaze stared at her, eyes wandering to her small smile, her red eyes, to his hand held lightly yet securely in her own. The warm burning in his chest grew to a point where it was almost painful, and he quickly came back to himself. "L-Lady Corrin…! My apologies… I…"

"It's fine…"

Her voice came out so soft and light that it was almost taken away by the breeze and the rustling of the blossoms. Yet somehow it had the power to keep him still. The fluttering and twisting in his chest all at once seemed to vanish.

The smile on her light pink lips seemed to grow just a little, and she said again, "It's fine, Kaze. Please. It's fine…"

Kaze noticed his face wasn't the only one turning a little red. Under the calming shade of the sakura tree… there's no way that it could have been the sun. With a small smile finding its way onto his own lips, he let his muscles lax, eased a calming breath, and focused on the warmth enveloping his one hand. Like it was the only thing in the entire world.

"Corrin!"

The both of them jumped. Corrin pulled her hands back and Kaze quickly put his own back at his side. They looked out to where the voice had come from, and a little ways off into the garden they saw Queen Mikoto standing and smiling. And Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi and Sakura were around her, smiling just as cheerfully as she was, all bright and blurry in the midday sun.

The shaggy dog barked loudly, scampered up to its feet, and lollopped off happily toward them.

"So this is where you've been!" Ryoma boomed warmly.

"We've been looking for you, you know!" Hinoka called, not having to cup her hands over her mouth to be heard loud and clear.

"Thought you'd made it half way back to Nohr by now," Takumi sighed, shaking his head.

"This way, sister!" Sakura waved her arms over her head. "Over here!"

"Oh…!" Corrin swiftly stood up.

"They… must have been looking for you," for some reason Kaze felt out of breath. "You'd best go back to them, Princess Corrin."

Queen Mikoto waved slowly as the wind blew through her deep black hair. "Corrin!"

"Y-yeah. Right," Corrin started off. As she stepped out of the shade and into the sunlight, she stopped and looked back. "Uh… K-Kaze…" a little pink was still on her cheeks. "Thanks! F… for the lunch, I mean. I really enjoyed the demon rice. Uh…"

"It was my pleasure, Princess Corrin," he assured her with a smile that he hoped would make her feel that everything was okay. "Please, think nothing of it."

"Right," she nodded slowly. She was about to start off again, but stopped herself. Ridding the hesitant frown from her lips, a flicker of determination sparked in her eyes. Corrin took a breath, faced him, and looked straight into him. "Kaze! Listen… I'm glad that despite everything… that you of Hoshido and me from Nohr… I'm just glad that we were able to share a little bit of time together like this. I really had… a lot of fun. So, thank you! And…maybe… some day we can do it together again. Okay?" and she flashed a bright, wholehearted smile.

The wind, which had stolen his breath, would have doubtless taken away his words as well. Before he could even part his lips, Corrin turned and ran off without looking back, with her cape fluttering out behind her like a deep, black shadow.

Kaze watched as she reached Queen Mikoto and went into her arms. The other members of the Hoshidan family gathered near, while the big white dog ran circles all around them, barking happily.

Lord Ryoma watched his mother and sister with a warm, proud look on his face, with his arms folded familiarly over his chest. His great mane of hair swayed in the wind as the light caught his armor and made it flash blinding red.

Hinoka was smiling more brightly than Kaze had ever seen before. She put her hand on Corrin's shoulder and looked between her sister and mother excitedly, like what she was seeing was too good to be true.

Prince Takumi stood a little bit off from the others with his back to them and his arms crossed. But even at a distance Kaze noticed how often the young prince glanced back at his sister and mother, and once Kaze almost thought he saw him smile.

Sakura looked hesitant to join the others and hovered nervously around them. Corrin quickly noticed the youngest princess was being excluded, so with a warm smile, she held out a hand that Sakura eagerly took, and joined the hug Corrin was sharing with her mother. Kaze could hear Sakura's laughter clearly in the air with all the others.

Under the shade of the sweet-smelling tree, it was a little hard to see them where they stood all blurry and bright in the distance. Their voices and their laughter echoed, but all their words were lost within it. Kaze watched Queen Mikoto caress Corrin's face and pick a few pink petals out of her daughter's long white hair.

Kaze could hear Corrin's laughter clear as a bell. Not even wanting to blink, he watched her look between all the members of her family with a wonderful smile. And they all smiled back. Queen Mikoto said something that Kaze couldn't hear, and Corrin nodded happily. He watched her lips as they moved, but whatever words Corrin returned were taken away with the wind.

Kaze stood slowly from the stone bench under the tree.

' _I promise you…'_ a great, warm breeze blew by, picking the petals out of his hair and carrying them off into the sky, '… _I will not fail you again.'_

Kaze bowed his head and disappeared into the wind.


End file.
